


A Cruel, Cruel World

by tandhale



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-15
Updated: 2017-03-24
Packaged: 2017-12-29 12:46:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 28,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1005625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tandhale/pseuds/tandhale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's 1945 and the Dark Lord Grindelwald has been defeated by Albus Dumbledore. The Wizarding World, in their panic of purging everything and everyone dark, attacked the Cruor family, killing everyone but the only heir. Being sent to an orphanage, Hadrian Cruor returns with a burning hatred for the Light. On the path for revenge, he meets a certain Slytherin with similar ideas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hadrian James Cruor

Prologue: Hadrian James Cruor  
'Italics'-thoughts

"-and they lived happily ever after." A young woman finished to a mass of children. In the dimly lit room with peeling wallpaper, one child was missing from the gathering. A black-haired boy scanning a thick text, was hidden in a corner by the ever-lengthening shadows casted on the wall by the flickering candles.

"Fairytales," the little boy scoffed, turning back to his book on snakes. "Will get you nowhere in life." Continuing to read his book, the boy was undisturbed by the children who seemed to keep a wide berth around him. The boy remaining so immersed in the tattered book didn't realize that while he was reading about the poisonous Black Mamba, an elderly woman had joined him in the shadows.

"Hadrian," the woman said sharply, "why are you not with the other children listening to Ms. Meyers's story?"

The boy now known as Hadrian, hid his scowl behind the book. Quickly plastering on a sheepish smile, he faced the woman with an innocent expression.

"Sorry Mrs. Anders, I wanted to read this book about animals without disturbing the others." Hadrian said politely.

"Even though that is a considerate thing to do," Mrs. Anders sniffed "Ms. Meyers did not take off time from her work for nothing. Times are hard now, as I'm sure you know."

Quickly nodding his head, Hadrian replied "Of course Mrs. Anders, I'll go join the others now."

"See to that you do Mr. Cruor." And with that being said, the woman twirled around and swept off to go bother another child.

Sneering at her turned back, Hadrian gently folded the page he was reading. Slowly getting to his feet, he brushed off the filth on his worn pants and faced the little gathering sitting on the dirty rug in the middle of the room.  
Curling his lip at the children who were so in awe of the woman telling another fairytale of a world filled with dragons, magic, and shining knights in armor, he surveyed the only available spot in the back.  
It's disgusting how attached they are to those myths, but it's funny how only a story can transform them so much. Such a change from how they act in the morning, I have lost count of how many bruises I have gotten from their so called "help to beat the 'freak' out of me". The bruises could have been prevented if that pathetic excuse for a human, Mrs. Anders, would stop wasting money on the alcohol she claims she doesn't buy and instead use it to hire actually competent caretakers.  
Frowning at how ignorant the caretakers were, he quickly sat down on the rug with all the others. Ignoring how some scrambled to get away from him, too used to the treatment to care. It's a vast improvement from last week, however. They finally got the message that they're beneath him, that he rules them like the servants they truly are. He smirked at how he finally got them to comply, nothing what a few nightmares and broken bones can't fix.  
Yes, he mused, some would call him heartless but can you really blame him, they had it coming to them. Ever since he was dumped on this retched orphanage's steps when he was five, he was reminded of how unwanted he was by all the other children. They all thought he was the Devil's son, since he was different, special unlike them. Forced to go to school with the other children, Hadrian James Cruor was found to be a genius. 'Simply brilliant!' some of the teachers would say. With his stunning intelligence and handsome looks, he had the all the adults wrapped around his little fingers. Though that wasn't the reason why the children hated him, no, Hadrian could always do things nobody could explain. He could make the weather change with only his will, and he could summon a book to him from across the room. The "special thing" as all the children called the strange happenings, was not to be trifled with, for more than one child has experienced the pain that Hadrian could exert on them with the just one look from those cold emerald eyes.  
Pulling out of the fond memories of his retributions on his tormentors, Hadrian prepared himself for an hour of disgustingly detailed passages of fair maidens trapped in towers, waiting for a handsome prince to come save her. Paired with the children squealing at every scene of kissing, it seemed like he was in a Hell of his own making. He would rule this Hell though, after all isn't it better 'to reign in Hell, than to serve in Heaven'.


	2. To Each Their Own

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to make sure some of you aren't confused by the content of this chapter, Hadrian can't use his funds that his family has left to him because the Ministry froze it and Dumbledore recognizes Hadrian's last name but he won't act until Hadrian proves that he is a threat.

~ACCW~  
In the early morning sun, stood a tall figure casting a long shadow on the front door of St. Jude's Orphanage. The figure surveyed the derelict building and dirty windows. The man pursed his lips in disapproval, for this was not a place to raise children.  
Putting the matter aside for now, Albus Dumbledore walked up the broken and worn steps. Even though Headmaster Dippet could have sent someone else in his place, he still volunteered for every trip to the Muggle World to visit that one child who was different. Smiling at the shocked expressions they always adopted when they found out they were magical, he lifted his hand to the worn, bronze knocker on the door and pulled, letting it go as soon as it was a suitable distance from the door, making the hollow sound he was so accustomed to.  
~ACCW~  
When Hadrian woke up that morning, he knew that something special would happen. Whilst staring up at the decaying wooden beams that made up the ceiling, he pondered on how his life had changed when he took control of the orphanage.   
The meager meals that all of the orphans usually received grew larger in proportion; until they resembled a normal dinner. Whenever they were sent outside for "recess", none of the other children came near him, which suited him just fine for he loved his privacy. Of course school was too easy for him to even pay attention for longer than five minutes, which delighted the teachers when he could answer every single question of theirs correctly.   
Sighing, Hadrian slowly sat up and stretched, yawning while he did so. Running a slender hand through his wavy, black locks, he stood up and gracefully walked to his dresser. While the contents were meager, he had no trouble finding something to wear without using yesterday's clothing.  
Putting on the items of clothing carefully, he walked silently to the bathroom that all the boys shared.  
The bathroom was bland and nondescript with a toilet, bathtub, sink, and a cracked mirror. But what could you expect from an orphanage; after all they didn't get much money from the government because of the World War.  
Bloody Adolf Hitler just had to destroy all my plans. Now the economy is falling and more and more children are being sent to this orphanage, they could mess up everything I've done to get this place under control! Should that happen, I'll make sure they learn their places soon enough.   
Returning back from his thoughts, he found himself looking in the mirror. Studying the handsome face staring back at him, he saw nothing wrong with the mask he always wore. Smirking at his reflection, he turned towards the closed door and curled his hand around the cool, metal knob. Slowly turning it to the right, he stepped out and walked back to his room with the grace of a feline.  
~ACCW~  
As soon as the heavy knocker fell against the wood, the door swung open to reveal to Albus an elderly woman. Immediately putting on a genial smile, he held out his withered hand for her to shake.

"Hello Mrs. Anders, I am Professor Albus Dumbledore and I am here to discuss with you the education of young Mr. Cruor. May I come in?"

Seeming to break out of the trance she experienced from the sight of the strange man, Mrs. Anders quickly replied "Of course, please excuse my silence. You're here for Hadrian is it? "

"Yes, Madame. He has the right to a full scholarship to our boarding school, Hogwarts. Hadrian would remain at Hogwarts for most of the year, however, he will have to return back to St. Jude's during the summer. If Mr. Cruor were to accept our offer, I'll give him directions to the place where students get their supplies and money to pay for them. Now may I see him, Mrs. Anders?" The Professor asked.

"Yes, just follow me and I'll take you to his room. Normally we put two other boys in Hadrian's room, but they seem to not want to come near him; it's rather peculiar isn't it?" She said while climbing the creaky stairs. Finally getting to the top, she turned to Albus and looked him straight in the eye. "Strange things happen around Hadrian, he scares the other children. Please, just be cautious around him." And with those final words, Mrs. Adeline Anders spun around stalked back down the stairs.

With his brows crinkled, Albus Dumbledore faced the door and knocked quietly. Slowly the door opened for him to find a tall, slender boy with jet black locks facing away from him. Clearing his throat, he began to open his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a voice as smooth as honey.

"I know why you are here. You're a professor aren't you? Did she have you to come have a look at me?" The boy said emotionlessly without turning to face Albus. "Well aren't you here to tell me something, I could hear you all the way from downstairs. I'm not exactly patient right now, so will you kindly tell me why you are here." Finally facing the Professor with a cold cruel smile, the boy gestured to an abandoned chair near the bed.  
The motion jerked Albus out of his reverie caused by seeing such striking features. Running his eyes over unblemished porcelain skin, the aristocratic nose and elegant eyebrows, flitting over the perfect rose painted lips, he lifted them into the very eyes of Death himself. They were the exact same shade of the most dangerous curse in the entire Wizarding World; the Avada Kedavra, the curse that could end life in an instant. With his hands shaking a little, Albus slowly sat down in the metal chair and continued to stare into those striking viridian eyes.

"I am here to invite you to our boarding school, Hogwarts," he began, "Hogwarts is a school for very special and unique children, like yourself, who need guidance to learn how to control their gifts. Each year, letters are sent out to children all over Britain who just turned the age of eleven. Do you have any questions so far?"

"Of course I have questions, what kind of special kids do you mean? Like the ones who belong in those mental institutions? And why didn't I get a letter?"

"No Hadrian, may I call you Hadrian? Hogwarts isn't a school for mentally disturbed children; Hogwarts is a school of Magic. You didn't get a letter because people like you, who were raised in the Muggle World, need a teacher from Hogwarts to explain our world to you." Albus replied in a grandfatherly way.

"Who are Muggles? Are you talking about the Wizarding World?" Hadrian asked with narrowed eyes, for this man has to be insane. But inside he knew what this senile man was saying was true; he always knew he was better than the rest of the children. Magic, just the very word got him excited, for that is what he held in his body. Breaking out of his thoughts to listen to what the strange man was saying.

"My dear boy, Muggles is the term used for non-magical people. The Wizarding World is where Hogwarts is and where you are going to get your supplies for school. And speaking of school, I must give you the list of materials you're going to need. Don't worry about the money; there is a trust fund for Hogwarts' students. This letter will explain everything you need to know. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to have a word with your guardian." With that being said, Albus Dumbledore quickly dropped the heavy, manila envelope on the bed and strode out of the room, closing the door quietly after him.

As soon as the envelope touched the bed, Hadrian was on it like a starved animal just catching the sight of food.  
Gently caressing the wax seal on the expensive paper, he studied the strange coat of arms. Analyzing that there was a different animal for each box on the seal, he realized that the Lion, Snake, Honey Badger, and Eagle were all entwined around a majestic looking H.  
Lifting his hands to the top of the envelope, he quickly tore off the paper and broke the seal, letting the remains flutter to the ground, and read its contents. Grinning like a fool, he grabbed his frayed coat and ran out of his dank room, ready to explore a new world.


	3. Diagon Alley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG YOU GUYS!!!! I was looking through and seeing that the number of chapters on Ao3 doesn't match the number of chapter on FFN, which is suppose to be 10....so I searched through and compared chapters and fucking found that I skipped a chapter that was supposed to be before "The Sorting".....so fuck.
> 
> I AM SOOOOO SORRY!!!! Just think of this as another present as I work on chapter 11..please enjoy!

  
Emotionless viridian eyes battled with terrified dark grey, the owners of each set stood in an eerie silence. The war seeming to go on for days, yet in reality only lasted a few minutes; it ended with the emerald green eyes triumphant. Continuing to stare into submissive grey eyes, Hadrian slowly wrapped a hand around the tarnished knob of the front door. He managed just to stop himself from wrenching open the door and sprinting out onto the crowded sidewalks for he had come to this room with the intent of getting permission from Mrs. Anders. Quickly becoming impatient with the unresponsive matron, Hadrian cleared his throat and jerked his head towards the door.

"Mrs. Anders, may I have permission to leave the orphanage to get my supplies for school?" he politely said through clenched teeth.

Shaking her head, the proprietor of the orphanage replied, "I'm afraid I can't grant you permission, Hadrian, for the first term of this school starts on September the 11th. Why must you go so early to retrieve your supplies?"

"I just want to get it out of the way, Mrs. Anders." Hadrian said misleadingly, when truthfully, he just wanted to see what kind of competition he would have with magically raised children. Seeing that the stubborn hag wouldn't change her decision, Hadrian came to the conclusion that he should act quickly; he swiftly gathered his magic around him and focused it to channel from his body to crowd around Mrs. Anders's head.

Holding the eye contact he had with Mrs. Anders, he slowly entered her mind. Immediately he was bombarded with her trivial thoughts, most of them stating how angelic he looked with victory shining in his eyes; he sifted through them until he got to a relatively clear area of her brain. With the power he had gathered, he unhurriedly coaxed her brain to accept his commands.  
   
 _“Let Hadrian leave the vicinity, let Hadrian leave the vicinity, let Hadrian leave the vicinity”_ ; over and over again those five simple words were repeated until he felt the order was imprinted in her thoughts adequately. Cautiously retreating out of the woman's mind, he returned to the present and surveyed the results of his work. Somewhere in the process of entering her mind, Mrs. Anders had fallen to the floor, slumped against the wall; a little bit of drool hanging from her lip, her mind clearly unable to cope with the intrusion.

Smirking at the wonderful sight, Hadrian silently strode over to the pathetic woman and struck her hard in the face. The ringing sound of skin hitting skin resonated in the empty hallway, and then soon after came the sharp cry of pain from the frail woman on the ground. Hadrian rapidly dropped the cruel smile and put on a concerned frown, getting on his knees to gain the injured matron's attention.

"Mrs. Anders? Mrs. Anders? Can you hear me? You're fine, you accidentally fell and hit your hand on the staircase," he said in neutral tone that to the keenest ear showcased his displeasure while placing a hand on her shoulder in comfort.

"Wha- what am I doing here Hadrian? The last I remember was talking to that man, Albus Dumbledore." She replied in a confused manner.

"You were about to give me permission to go get my school supplies from downtown, when you suddenly passed out. I was going to go call the hospital but I didn't want to leave you unattended. Now that you seem fine, may I leave the orphanage for the rest of the morning?" Hadrian asked sweetly.

"Of course dear, thank you for attending to me, you may go but be back before sunset." She said hurriedly while walking towards her office.

"Thank you Mrs. Anders, and please get your head checked for trauma. We don't want you to have any permanent damage, now would we?" he questioned with a sadistic smile aimed at her turned back. Spinning to face the cedar door, he placed his hand on the knob and twisted it to the right. With the fresh morning air blowing in his face, Hadrian sauntered down the worn steps and off onto the concrete sidewalk, joining the mass of people, all heading exactly where he was going, with ease. Just letting the current of people drag him to his destination, Hadrian casually took in the sights that have been "home" to him for six years.

On the right side of the street, across from the orphanage, was a police station and lawyers' office; while on the left side of the street, the side he currently was on, laid the orphanages all lined up together. 

_It's fitting, I suppose, for if a person saw abuse in an orphanage, they can just walk across the street to a police station and report what they saw. Abuse is so common around here in these orphanages that no one really gives a damn anymore._

Seeing that the seas of pedestrians were nearing his target destination, he quickly made his way to the edge of the throng and broke out onto clear path. He strode down the walkway until he stopped right in front of an old, russet ramshackle building. With his head tilted to the side, Hadrian studied the writing on the door, _The Leaky Cauldron_.

Shrugging his thin shoulders, he stepped forward and pushed open the shabby door to find an equally dreary decor inside. The small room was dimly lit with candles that seemed to float above the tawdry tables, a bar was on the west side of the room, filled with people laughing and ordering drinks. Dissatisfied with his findings, Hadrian strolled up to the bar to talk to barkeeper. Catching the attention of the man standing behind the saloon, he took a seat next to an obviously intoxicated man.

"Excuse me sir, but can you open up the entrance to Diagon Alley?" he asked graciously.

"Ah! A Hogwarts student, of course lad I'd be glad to show you the way," he answered cheerfully, putting down the glass he was drinking the golden frothy beverage from; he scuttled around the bar and ambled to a door in the back. Turning around to face Hadrian, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. With an impatient gesture to come in from the older male, Hadrian strode through the door to find them in a courtyard outside. Keeping his attention on his surroundings, he walked forward to look at a plain, brick wall.

"Now watch real careful son, it's a complicated pattern." The man stated while tapping the bricks with his wand he seemed to procure from his pocket. Finishing what he was doing, he stepped back and watched the bricks move away to reveal an alley bustling with people. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the boy's eyes widen in surprise.

"Here is the entrance to Diagon Alley, I trust you'll find your way around." He told Hadrian as he gestured towards the magical Alley, prompting him to walk through the archway.

Hadrian, nodding a thank you to the barkeeper, quickly moved into the alley filled with witches and wizards. Looking around at all the colorful shops, he pulled out his Hogwarts school list and started reading the contents on the page.

Deciding to go get the books first, he walked into  _Arian and Ariat's Books for Every Occasion_. With the little bell ringing to announce his arrival, all the books on the towering shelves surrounding him in a circle instantly overwhelmed Hadrian. While he was walking around, surveying the book titles to try to find what he needed, certain names caught his attention. Titles like  _The Dark Arts Unleashed or Combat Magic: Necessary or Not?_ particularly piqued his interest. Shaking himself out of the want to buy the books, Hadrian found what he need and quickly walked to the counter to check out.

Minutes later found Hadrian in  _Madame Tulane's Robes for All Sizes_ , standing on a stool while an attendant worked on fitting his school robes. Hadrian, trying to find something to look at, stared out the display window; looking at all the people walking up and down the cobbled stone road. A polite cough signaling that his fitting was done caught his attention and he put his body into motion to pay at the counter.

Quietly saying thank you to the woman, Hadrian joined the mass of people walking through the alley. Looking at all the crossed off items he had on his list, he saw the one thing he was most looking forward to, getting the wand. Staying on the pathway until he stopped in front of a narrow and shabby shop, flaking gold letters read  _Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C._ With a raised eyebrow at the date of the store,   
Hadrian pulled open the creaky door and stepped into a dusty room filled from wall ceilings with shelves crowded with long, rectangular boxes of various colors. Stepping up to the counter without a sound, he patiently waited for a worker to appear.

"Hello there, are you here for your wand?" a soft voice asked from behind him. Twirling around quickly with his magic ready to obey his will, Hadrian faced a man as old as time itself. Long, scraggly white hair covered the man's head with a surprising quantity, and a tall, bony, and wrinkled body made up the rest of his appearance.

Pulling himself together, Hadrian smoothly replied, "Yes sir, what exactly am I to do to find my wand?"

"So polite. I'll hand you different wands made up of different wood and cores, if the wand in your hand reacts in a positive way, then it is yours to keep. Now let's begin shall we." He said while turning his back around and wandering down the shelves' aisles with searching hands. Making a lunge at different spots to pull out several boxes, ambling back to where Hadrian was standing, he put the down on a chair.

"Now which hand do you write with?" Ollivander asked urgently.

"The right, sir." Hadrian replied back, holding out his right arm. Watching as the old man opened one box and pulled out a long piece of brown wood, handing it to him. Grabbing the handle carefully, Hadrian held the stick of wood for who knows how long, waiting for something to happen. Just as he was about to open up his mouth to comment, the wand was snatched out of his hand and another shoved back in the empty space.

This process repeated several times until Hadrian had enough of it, refusing the wand that was offered to him, he gathered his magic and let it fill the shop. With his magic searching for the perfect wand, Hadrian strolled down each aisle surveying any difference in the silence. Faintly he heard a rattling coming from the aisle across from him, the rattling, getting louder and louder, wouldn't stop until Hadrian opened the box up and pulled out the long and thin wand. With the wand in his hand, the room lit up to unbearable brightness. Going back to the old man, he held out his wand for him to examine. Ollivander, with shaky fingers, reached out to grab the black piece of wood.

"A very unusual wand, Mr. Cruor. Made out of holly and phoenix feather, 11 inches. Very strange for this wand had a brother I sold today. Yew and phoenix feather, 13 inches, a very powerful wand. You are destined for great things, should they be done for good or evil that's for you to decide, however you and brother wand's owner are meant to do those great things together." And with that being said, Hadrian gave him the required galleons and dashed out of the shop, eager to get away from the creepy man and to sort out his thoughts.

Exiting  _The Leaky Cauldron_ , Hadrian walked back to the orphanage. Quickly reaching the rusty front gates guarding the building, he slipped through an opening and entered the facility. Sprinting up the old stairs to his room, he lay down on the creaky, spring mattress and took out the letter that started it all. Pulling out the ticket to the train that would get him to Hogwarts, he studied the writing on the thin piece of paper. Putting it down on his pillow, he turned to face the calendar hanging up on the wall opposite of him, pulling out a stolen marker and crossing off another day on the already marked paper.  _1 more day down, a whole lot more to go._  Hadrian sighed and returned to the bed, staring up at the rotten wooden beams and peeling paint.


	4. The Sorting

Bloody stupid Professor….making me suffer by trying to find the damn entrance to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. No such thing as a Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, I would know. It would've been helpful if the man gave me some damn directions to find the entrance, but NO I just have to figure it out for myself. Look at me, I'm whining like those little brats in the orphanage. Just bear it Hadrian; if you can tolerate those retched fairytales that bitch Mrs. Anders insists on making you listen to, then you can certainly find an elusive entrance to a bloody train that you must catch in five minutes. 

After a mental pep talk telling himself he could do it, a scowling Hadrian pulled out his train ticket to Hogwarts and studied it. Still giving the worthless piece of paper a death glare, Hadrian deftly began to navigate his trolley filled with possessions around the train station. As he wandered around, he remembered the relief-filled eyes and weak smiles that the matrons directed at him in the morning before his departure to King's Cross Station. 

The thought of finally getting away from his personal purgatory put a breathtaking smile on his equally stunning features; causing many people to stop what they were doing and stare at the young boy, marveling at the fine features that showcased a pair of stunning, emerald eyes. The boy's looks instigated some of their most lustful, dark desires. Aware of the longing looks he was receiving, Hadrian inconspicuously picked up his already swift pace, eager to get away from the prying and lust-filled eyes. 

In the midst of his attempt to hide from the inquisitive eyes, he spotted a most peculiar looking family from across the station, pushing his trolley over to their side, he started walking towards them. The family that had caught his attention had white blonde hair, an already unusual trait. That, however, wasn't why they interested Hadrian, the seemingly aristocratic family held a cold disdain for everyone in the station. Hadrian now was so close to the blonde family that he could see the fine quality of their tailor-made clothes. Just as he was about to reach them, they suddenly ran through the brick wall positioned close by! Shock and determination filled his viridian eyes; he wasn't about to let them go until they satiated his curiosity. 

With a deep breath, Hadrian ran towards the brick barrier, steeling himself for a painful impact. Realizing that he wasn't sprawled across a concrete floor, Hadrian James Cruor opened his closed eyes to find himself staring at a giant scarlet train with a the letters 'Hogwarts Express' embossed on its glossy side. Above the steam engine hung a sign containing the location he spent all morning searching for, 'Platform Nine and Three-Quarters'.

He scanned the packed platform, filled with hooting owls and grinning children. Hadrian taking in the beauty of the Platform, walked towards the place where attendants waited to put students' luggage into the storage compartments below. Handing his things to one, he gave his ticket to the conductor waiting in front of the entrance to the train. After having the piece of paper punched, Hadrian began the quest for an empty compartment. Wandering past countless rooms filled with children, he finally came upon one that wasn't occupied. Swiftly he stepped through the threshold and locked the compartment's door, using his magic to warn anybody from coming near the closed door to go away.

He sighed in contentment at finally getting away from the screaming children and sobbing parents, pushing the horrible memory away while pulling out a book from his cloak. 'Hogwarts: A History' was written in cursive gold letters on the brown leather cover, the contents, while seemingly biased to light wizards, told about the four founders of Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He settled down in the soft cushion of the seat and opened the book to where he had left off, reading about the removal of Salazar Slytherin. Losing himself in the book easily, he didn't notice anyone trying to get into the compartment until his magic finally alerted him.

Angered with the interruption of his reading, Hadrian simply flicked his wrist towards the locked door, opening it up slightly. The person outside seemed to take the action as encouragement to come in, immediately he saw the shock of white-blonde hair as soon as the person stepped through, though the boy didn't seem to notice him. Irritated with the unwanted company, Hadrian put his book down and stood up, arms crossed on his chest.

"Excuse me," he started coldly "but I believe this compartment is taken already. Perhaps you should try your luck elsewhere."

Turning around quickly, the startled boy took in the aristocratic features and the frosty expression in the emerald eyes. Suddenly he took on a defiant stance, determined to show the other his superiority.

"I don't know who you are, but you should watch who you're talking to." The boy sneered back with contempt.

"How amusing. I have better things to do then obeying the whims of a spoiled little boy. Now why don't you gain some sense and get the hell out of my compartment." Hadrian murmured with a disdainful look in his eyes, disappointed at what he wasted his curiosity on.

Practically bristling with anger at being dismissed, the blonde snarled back harshly, "I am a Malfoy, you should show some respect! My father could destroy your entire miserable life with one word."

"Then by all means, grant me with thy name, your majesty." Hadrian mocked derisively. Mentally he scoffed at how pathetic this boy was, he had read about the Malfoy family, with the future of the family resting on this insolent boy, he almost felt sorry for them.

"Abraxas, Abraxas Malfoy." Abraxas sniffed out. "And yours?"

"Hadrian, Hadrian Cruor," he replied. Hadrian watched with pleasure at seeing Malfoy's eyes widen with fear and respect. Along with looking up the Malfoy family, he searched his family name too as a mere quest to satisfy his curiosity. Imagine his surprise when he found out he was the heir to the most dangerous family in history, The Most Ancient and Noble House of Cruor. Reading about his family's execution made Hadrian shake with fury, for the Wizarding World seemed to lose their touch, leaving him alive when they stormed the manor, leaving him as a child in a room crammed with burning bodies. 

He thirsted for revenge; he could still remember bits and pieces of that night. Forcing his mind to return to the present, Hadrian stared at Malfoy, waiting for his reaction.

"I am sorry. How about we start over?" Abraxas seemed to say with some trouble, his pride not letting him bow down to Hadrian.

Grinning at the submission the boy was struggling to show, Hadrian decided to play with the blonde boy a little more. “Yes, let us try. Hello, I'm Hadrian Cruor. You are?"

"Abraxas Malfoy, what house do you want to be in? I know I'm going to get into Slytherin, which is the only house worth something at Hogwarts, besides Ravenclaw." Abraxas boasted to Hadrian like they were friends, the mishap from before left in the past. Behind the cold smile on his face, Hadrian was secretly surprised, for the boy really couldn't be that stupid and forget everything he said to him. Nonetheless, Abraxas Malfoy would soon learn his place, just not right now.

"I'm thinking of getting into Ravenclaw. If I do get sorted into Gryffindor or Hufflepuff, I think I'll leave. Goodness knows how long I would…" Hadrian was interrupted with a knock on the compartment door, with a frown on his face, he flicked his hand and a wave of wand less magic opened the entrance; behind it stood four boys, eyes wide with surprise. 

The boy closest to the door was of Italian descent, a pureblood from the fine features and top-quality clothes. The other boy behind him was English, with his patrician features; he was obviously a noble's son. The other two males seemed to be twins, both with black hair and blue eyes. Slowly they shuffled through the wide entrance, their eyes glued on Hadrian's face. Abraxas's features seemed to brighten with delight, he gestured to the empty seats across from them.

"Hadrian, I want to introduce you to Ciaran Zabini, Cyril Carrow, and finally Alastair Black and his twin Cygnus Black." Abraxas said while pointing to each one. "This is Hadrian Cruor."

"Pleasure." Hadrian stated with a smirk, watching the boys nod their heads dumbly, still stunned by his looks.

"Well, sit. What took you so long to find me?" Abraxas asked with some irritation.

"You disappeared on us!" Cyril exclaimed. "How were we supposed to find you if you bloody up and went somewhere without telling us!"

"I did tell you that I was going to go find a place to sit, didn't I?" Abraxas said with a cross expression.

"Yes, you did. Cyril just doesn't remember because he was drooling over Adrella LeStrange." Alastair Black replied.

"I was not! Besides she's betrothed to my cousin, Arcturus Black." Cyril defended himself.

"That she is." Abraxas said while ending the nonsense the boys were displaying.

"But on to other matters, how much potential do you think this year's students will show? I bet it's not going to be that much, Father said that a lot of muggleborns are coming this year, more than any other year." Abraxas sneered.

"Some of them may show something, maybe not in power but perhaps in intelligence." Hadrian said while tucking his book back in his cloak.

"Perhaps." Abraxas replied thoughtfully.

Suddenly the train stopped, jerking them all forward. The speakers in the compartment blared on as it announced they were at their destination. Not waiting for the others to gather their belongings, Hadrian stepped out of the small room and into a busy hallway. He observed the scenery shown to him from the open train doors, taking in the wild forest and the smell of fresh air.

"Come on Hadrian, we have to get a good boat!" Abraxas told him excitedly while tugging him along with the others following behind. Together they jumped down from the train and onto the concrete surface of the train station, running to where the boats were docked on the sandy beach nearby. All five of them picked the boat closest to the water, getting in with dignity unlike the other students.

"Do you know how this works?" Hadrian asked.

"The boat is powered by magic; it automatically takes us to Hogwarts without us even having to row the boat. Not like I would do such a thing." Abraxas said while crinkling his nose at the thought of performing a menial task.

Hadrian, rolling his eyes at the behavior, was about to reply but was stopped when the boat lurched forward, pushing itself into the lake. Gripping the sides of the boat tightly, he saw the others occupants doing the same.

Slowly the boat set out on a steady pace, heading towards a tunnel covered by seaweed. He ducked his head as soon as he saw the low entrance, not bothering to see if the others did the same. Behind their boat Hadrian could hear the faint splash signaling a person falling into the lake, snickering with the others at that person's bad luck, but the humor quickly faded as soon as the most beautiful castle he had ever seen came into sight. 

Stone made up its structure, designed into a gothic church style, arched stained glass windows covered the side facing them. Spirals appointed the roofs, making it impossible for anybody to land and not get impaled doing so. The most beautiful thing, to Hadrian, were the paintings on the glass, mermaids and fairies moved around in exotic environments, while unicorns and centaurs roamed the dark forests, protecting it from evil.

"Beautiful." Hadrian murmured, impressed with the architecture of the great castle.

"Indeed it is." Abraxas agreed.

The boats drifted to the shore, bumping into the sandy surface. Trying to get out of the boat without getting wet was a difficult task, but with his natural grace Hadrian was successful, though he couldn't say the same about the others.

Hadrian smirking at the misfortune of Cyril's robes walked up the stone pathway leading to the entrance of Hogwarts. There was a teacher standing at the open door, gesturing to the others to come inside. The appearance of the entrance hall blurred in Hadrian's mind, for he could not pay attention with the sorting about to happen, the nervousness clouding his mind. Hadrian didn't notice that the line of children stopped moving, causing him to bump into the boy in front of him. Like any other child who was rudely pushed, the boy turned around, showing Hadrian a face equally as stunning as his own; red lips scrunched in a scowl and the azure eyes narrowed. He ran his eyes over the aquiline nose and the aristocratic eyebrows; the boy was of noble descent.

"Are you not going to apologize?" the boy said, interrupting his wonderings of what pureblood family he belonged to.

With his own scowl on his face, Hadrian replied in an irritated tone. "If you're going to be rude about it, then forget it. You can at least be polite and ask for an apology."

"Ask for an apology! You should automatically give me one for bumping into me." The boy returned.

"It was an accident! But since you're getting all worked up about it, I'm so sorry for pushing you." Hadrian said, laying on the sarcasm. Seeing that the line was moving again, he spotted Abraxas and the others at the front. Hadrian pushed his way in their direction, leaving the rude boy by himself.

"Wait! What's your name?" he heard the boy ask.

Turning around and giving the boy a smirk, he replied in a secretive tone. "You just have to wait and find out."

Reaching the others by then, Hadrian walked with them into the Great Hall. Floating candles lit up the room, the ceiling was breathtaking with the full moon shining in its rafters. Hadrian could feel his breath leave him as he watched a star shoot across the room. The teacher that had led them through Hogwarts walked up to the raised podium in the front, carrying a tattered brown hat.

THE SORTING HAT'S SONG

(Just pretend it's there)

After the magical hat sang, in his opinion, that rather horrible song, the names of the new students were called. Avery, Crabbe, the list went on and on until it got to his name.

"Cruor, Hadrian." The woman holding the list called. Hadrian could hear the whispers that floated around the room, making theories about how he had survived. Walking up to the podium without making a fool of him wasn't hard at all, but when the sorting hat covered his eyes and everything disappeared.

My, my, what do we have here? Mmm.. an intelligent mind and quite an ambition. It’s seems that Gryffindor and Hufflepuff don't fit, and that only leaves Slytherin and Ravenclaw. But where to put you? Slytherin would help you with your goals, but you would prosper in Ravenclaw. Yes that's it! Better be….

"RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouted while the long table in front of Hadrian cheered. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Abraxas waving at him, giving him a thumbs-up. Shaking his head slightly at the blonde's antics, Hadrian took a seat in the middle of the table, nodding at his new dorm mates. The rest of the sorting wasn't interesting until it got to the boy Hadrian bumped into earlier.

"Riddle, Tom." The woman said while holding the hat.

Riddle, what a muggle name. And here I thought he was a pureblood, he certainly has the looks of one. No matter, he still has potential; I better keep an eye on him.

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat bellowed, breaking through his thoughts. He glanced over at the green and silver table, seeing that they weren't clapping or smiling brought a frown to his lips. Hadrian knew the boy wouldn't last long in the Snake House, unless he showed them why he should be there. 

Pursing his lips in confusion at why he was suddenly so concerned, Hadrian turned towards his new house table, finding it to be hosting an enormous amount of food. Putting only small portions on his plate, he rotated to face the Slytherin table once again, catching Abraxas's eye. Nodding to him in acknowledgement, he tilted his head to Riddle, asking him silently for the blonde's opinion. Abraxas just rolled his eyes, mouthing to him that they'll tell him later with the other boys. Acquiescing to his decision, Hadrian ate his fill of dinner, letting his mind wander off into space. 

He never noticed the blue eyes from across the room watching him with curiosity and just a hint of obsession.


	5. Chamber of Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'italics' : Parseltounge

 

Now Tom Riddle wasn't the kind of child to be easily fascinated by things, but Hadrian Cruor was an oddity if he had ever seen one. The black-haired boy with the cold emerald eyes sparked a curiosity in Tom like no other, ignoring the fact that the boy seemed to want nothing to do with him. Yes that's it; maybe that's why he was currently hiding behind a bookcase staring at the object of his obsession.

 

Really now, how far have I sunk to actually stalk a person, let alone a person who obviously doesn't want to talk to me. What is wrong with me? When did I, all of a sudden, deem a person worthy enough to acknowledge, let alone chase after like a puppy? This is truly an ultimate low for me, which is a surprise since I thought asking a person for help was the bottom line. Stuck in his thoughts, Tom didn't notice someone silently creeping up behind him, well up until he turned around and had the scare of his life.

 

"Bloody hell! Cruor are you trying to kill me or is this your method of getting competition out of the way?" Tom sneered into the other boy's face. Blue eyes watched with satisfaction at the flicker of anger and surprise in __those green depths. It seems that the great and powerful Hadrian Cruor didn't have such a stone hold control on his emotions like he thought.

 

"If this is my competition, Riddle, then I'd hate to see my better. Why are you following me? Are you truly that lonely that you would come to little ol' me for company?" The Cruor heir replied while fluttering his eyelashes mockingly, making Tom viciously squish the anger that had risen in him at the other boy's insolence.

 

Really, Tom was surprised at how blatant the insult was, not that he was offended with the well-placed barb. Wasn't the Ravenclaw supposed to be skilled in the art of subtleness? You would certainly think so if you talked to the boy. Smirking with satisfaction at the rise he managed to get from the seemingly unemotional brunette, Tom purred out his own insult silkily.

 

"Well, well, well. Who knew that a Ravenclaw had such fire underneath? Now Hadrian, why do you think that you're oh so important for me to stalk? On the contrary, darling, I was here to get a book."

 

The Cruor heir scoffed at the excuse Tom gave him, he waved a hand at the question Tom asked and pushed his own to the conversation. "And what book would that be, The Ultimate Guide to Stalking? I'm pretty sure I felt eyes on my back from where I was sitting."

 

Letting out a cold laugh at the made up book title, Tom let his fingers trail across the worn bindings of the tomes on the shelf next to him, his eyes following the path his fingers made until he got to the book he wanted. Twisting his head to face the irritated Ravenclaw, Tom held up the book that was held in his hand, showing it to the other.

 

"If you can read the words across the cover, it obviously says Moste Potente Potions. It's for the potion's essay; I believe you were in the class when Professor Slughorn assigned us to list 10 facts about The Draught of Living Death. Or did you simply forget that we had homework? Now if you don't mind, I would like to get back to the Common Room so I can start on it." Tom said in a tone that suggested he didn't really care if Hadrian minded. He watched in delight when a blush appeared on the other's pale complexion, really Cruor looked so pretty with the blood painting his cheeks a vibrant red. Wonder what he would look like covered in blood?

 

Hadrian immediately countered the insult, trying to protect what was left of his dignity. "I knew there was an assignment for Slughorn, and besides the essay is on Felix Felicis not The Draught of Living Death! If you are in such a hurry to get to your precious Common Room, why didn't you go earlier?"

 

"My, Harry, you're obviously confused on the essay's topic. Why don't you go and ask Professor Slughorn for the assignment again. We wouldn't want you to fail after all. And to answer your question, you're blocking the exit." Tom said in mock concern. Passing Cruor swiftly when the boy moved to the side, Tom stopped at the entrance to the aisle, wanting to say one last thing. "Oh and Harry, the book is called 101 Ways to Stalk not The Ultimate Guide to Stalking, and I think it could really help you. You weren't the only one who felt eyes."

 

Laughing with real humor this time, Tom took great amusement at the anger he saw in those emerald eyes when they widened in surprise at his comment. Whistling while he swaggered out the doors of the library, ignoring the disapproving looks he got from Madame Pince, with Moste Potente Potions under his arm. It was much too easy to fluster Cruor, such a shame to. After all he was right; the essay was on Felix Felicis.

 

*Hadrian's POV*

 

Why that little bastard! How dare he make fun of me like that! Who does he think he is? Just because the Slytherin House welcomed him with open arms, doesn't mean he's God's gift to mankind. More like the perfect example that everyday assholes should follow.

 

Clenching his hands into fists to unsuccessfully release some of the pent up anger he held, Hadrian quickly walked back to his table to gather his things. Briskly walking out the entrance of the library, he strode down the corridor with the purpose to go to the girls' lavatory. Now Hadrian wasn't a pervert, if that's what you were thinking, he just needed some quiet away from the other students, and the girls' bathroom on the second floor was the perfect place to think. None of the female students ever went in the bathroom because it was said that a vengeful ghost who was murdered in the earlier years of Hogwarts haunted it; of course Hadrian himself started that rumor, with a little help from that annoying girl Myrtle.

 

Smirking at the memory of the eager to please girl, Hadrian quietly opened up the door to the bathroom, stepping inside hurriedly. After placing a complex locking charm on the door, he let out a long breath and dropped his bag on the floor, pacing as soon as he heard the heavy 'thunk' notifying him that his bag had met the tiled floor.

 

A strange hissing noise escaped Hadrian's mouth; Parseltounge was a talent he always had as a child. The sinister hissing sound cleared out a room of annoying children faster than the speed of light, which was quite a discovery for the boy, not to mention it gave him an advantage with the multiple snakes he found in the Orphanage's garden. He'd always thought he was alone, but when he read in Hogwarts A History that the great Salazar Slytherin was also a Parselmouth, well that theory swiftly went out the door. Hadrian had thought that if he went into the magical world, surely there should be others that had his ability, what a shame it was when he found out he had to hide the very thing he was most proud of, besides his already advanced control over his magic.

_That bloody Slytherin! How dare he think that he's Merlin reincarnated! I would love to rip him a new one! Let's see how the great Tom Riddle deals with blackmail. Now who to contact? Abraxas is loyal to me but he would tell Riddle in a second if the Slytherin offered him a better deal. Maybe Zabini could help. He is neutral and doesn't seem scared to go against boy. But how to get Riddle to do something embarrassing? I could contact the Weasleys and ask for their help but-_

 

Hadrian's rant was interrupted when the sinks adjoined in the center of the room sunk into the floor with a rumbling groan, leaving a giant opening in its departure. Hadrian cautiously walked forward to the opening's edge, peering down into the dark depths, trying to see anything in the gloom. What the hell! How did that happen? When was there a secret passageway in the girls' lavatory? What is down there and who made this without getting caught? It could only have been made in the Founders' Era.

 

Smacking his head, Hadrian cursed himself for his stupidity. Of course! Hadn't he read that before Salazar Slytherin left, he created the Chamber of Secrets, a secret room rumored to house a terrifying beast that only the Heir of Slytherin could control? His History teacher had mentioned it once when a Ravenclaw asked if the legend was true, of course the other three Founders never discovered the secret room. Well, it seemed that the entrance opened only to Parselmouths. Perfect! Now he could truly have a place just to himself. Leaning down slightly, Hadrian once again spoke in Parseltounge to see if he could instigate anything in the dark.

 

_Lights…stairs._

 

Almost instantly a set of stone steps appeared in the darkness, little spheres of fire following along the entrance's wall came a second later. Hadrian stepped into the now lighted entrance and slowly descended the stairs after closing the opening behind him, not wanting anyone to break through his privacy charm and find his new secret room, landing on a platform at the bottom. The Cruor heir studied the ancient runes that covered the floor and ceiling, never having seen them before in any Ancient Runes book he read, admiring the craftsmanship in every curve. He saw that snakes covered the pillars, which held the ceiling up, and the vault-like door that was placed at the end of the hallway. Picking up his walking pace to a slow jog, Hadrian slipped out his wand, ready to defend himself if the situation required it; reaching the door, he let his palm rest on one of the metal snakes, wanting to really see if it felt life-like. Surprisingly it did.

 

_Open.._

 

Unhurriedly the three metal snakes covering the door moved to form a circle along the edges of the entrance, hissing to note their assent at the demand. With a large creak, the heavy door swung open to reveal a massive cavern; pillars lined the walkway to a gigantic statue of an old man, water surrounded the walkway and the statue, causing an eerie green tint to color the open-mouthed snake figures resting in the water. Hadrian slowly walked past this, wanting to analyze everything of the once make believe legend. Reaching the end of the walkway, he faced the gigantic statue, raising his both of his hands with his palms facing up.

_Speak to me, Slytherin, Greatest of the Hogwarts Four._

 

To his surprise, and secret horror, the mouth of the statue descended into the water, opening an exit for whatever it held within the darkness that Hadrian could now see. Gripping his wand tighter when he heard something that sounded like rocks rubbing against each other, Hadrian quickly stepped behind one of the pillars to observe the beast that was coming out. Emerald green eyes widened to the size of dinner plates when they took in the monster of Slytherin; a huge serpent's head peaked out of the darkened cavern, not long after the rest of its body slithered out onto the wet floor. The snake, its size almost reaching the vast ceiling, had iridescent scales and black lids covering its eyes; however the most alarming thing, Hadrian noted, were its long and sharp teeth. They could probably tear through anything and were as long as Hadrian himself! It's a bloody Basilisk! That's the monster that was housed in Slytherin's chamber. But why is it still alive? Wouldn't it be dead already since nobody came down to feed it? I mean we would know if a seventy-foot snake was slithering around school. I've never seen one before, everybody says that they're extinct, but here's the proof right in front of me. Maybe I should introduce myself and ask its name. After all I am a speaker. Before he could change his mind, Hadrian walked out into the open and right in front of the Basilisk's vision.

_Hello Great Serpent. May I ask your name? Sucking in a breath silently as the beasts' great head swung around to face him._

_My Master, Salazar Slytherin, called me Apophis. You are not Master Salazar, yet you're a speaker. Tell me, little speaker, are you a descendant of my Salazar?_

_I do not know that myself, Great Serpent, but I do believe I have some connections to Salazar Slytherin since I speak Parseltounge. How did you manage to get out to eat, if you don't mind me asking?_

_When Master Salazar was alive, he brought me food to eat. Now, I go through the pipes to get to the Forbidden Forest. Nobody notices I'm there. Now, are you my new master, little speaker?_

_If you would allow me to be, Apophis._

_Yes, you are worthy enough to read the hidden library of Master Salazar What is your name, new Master?_

_Hadrian, Hadrian Cruor._

_Master Hadrian..yes I like it very much. Will you bring me some food Master Hadrian?_

_Yes I will, but for now you have to hunt for it yourself. I should bring you some soon, though. Unfortunately I have to go, Apophis, I shall see you soon._

_Goodbye Master Hadrian._

 

Turning around to walk back, Hadrian smiled at his new title. Having a Basilisk under his power not only gave him immense power, but control over all the serpents, magical or not. Having walked out of the Chamber and into the bathroom, Hadrian turned around to face the sinks when they came together again to close the entrance, spotting something on the third sink to the right. Leaning closer to the sink, he saw a sign that looked like a snake engraved on the silver faucet; raising his wand, he casted a powerful glamour over the spot without saying a word, making it look like there wasn't anything there but a smooth surface. Smirking at the success of his first try at the powerful glamour, Hadrian tore down the locking charm he had on the bathroom door and strode out with his bag over his shoulder. Quickly he ran to the Ravenclaw's Common Room, contemplating his new findings deep inside of Hogwarts, but before Hadrian had a chance to ponder on the subject, he had an essay calling his name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe Apophis is the snake that is predicted to bring chaos in Egyptian mythology. Please correct me if i'm wrong. Thank you for all the kind kudos, i'm glad that you appreciate the story so far.


	6. Introduction to Third Year

Two years had passed since Hadrian had first walked through the grand doors of Hogwarts; two years of studying the enigma known as Tom Riddle. Who would have known that the muggleborn who was unlucky enough to be sorted into one of the most prejudiced houses was a founder's heir, Slytherin's heir in fact. What a surprise it was for the population of Hogwarts to see Tom Riddle seated in the middle of the Slytherin table, a spot that was always reserved for the current King or Queen of Slytherin. That very act was the talk of Hogwarts for days. Now Hadrian couldn't look anywhere without seeing Riddle with his little band of the most influential purebloods following him around like mindless sheep. It seemed as if you could not find Riddle without either a Black or Malfoy following three feet behind him, Hadrian found it a little ridiculous since the King of Slytherin was one of the most powerful wizards in the school, besides Dumbledore and himself that is, but he couldn't complain since it did make watching the Slytherin easier. Hadrian wasn't stalking Riddle, he was merely observing the potential threat, after all, he did have a reputation to uphold and he couldn't have Riddle ruining it.

But on to other matters, his talks with Apophis were exceedingly eye opening for the Peverell heir; the great serpent told Hadrian of tales that no pureblood family has ever heard of. Like the story of the first dragon that roamed the Universe and how it was so powerful that it consumed galaxies when it finally died, it left behind a trail of stars that slowly moved every twelve years to form the constellation of its creator. Another story involved how Salazar Slytherin thought magic came about on Earth, the theory was that special groups of muggles were blessed by Magic herself, leading them to be the first witches and wizards in history. What a shock it would be to pureblood families if they found out that their "pure" blood actually came from a muggleborn ancestor, it was rather surprising that not one generation got curious about how they got magic, they like every other witch and wizard, took magic for granted.

"That will change very soon," The emerald-eyed teen muttered under his breath as he peeked over his Astronomy book to peer at Riddle and his cronies. Hadrian was seated in the library with the King of Slytherin seated just a few tables away, he didn't know what they were doing, but what looked like a blueprint of Hogwarts definitely wasn't for the Potions project he knew was assigned to Riddle and his group or as Hogwarts started calling them, the Knights of Walpurgis. Sighing in exasperation as the group started getting louder than the whispers that they attained throughout the entire conversation. If they wanted to debate could they not go somewhere else, he had to study for his Transfiguration test damn it! Before he could ponder on how to turn an animal into a knife, he was interrupted by Ciaran Zabini, Cyril Carrow, and Alastair Black, the only people who didn't seem to get swept up into Riddle's façade a the perfect student. Unlike Abraxas Malfoy and Cygnus Black, they stuck with Hadrian throughout the two years at Hogwarts, even though they were in different houses.

"If you frown too much, Hadrian, your face is going to get stuck that way. Such a shame it would be to lose a handsome face like yours." Alastair scolded as he used his index fingers to try to lift the corners of Hadrian's mouth and failing miserably.

Slapping the offending digits away from his face, Hadrian turned around to scowl at the trio. "What is it? Can't you see me studying?"

"For what? The Transfiguration test?" Ciaran asked, scoffing when Hadrian nodded his affirmative. "The test was easy, you should get a better grade than me. After all, you are the one of the brightest students at this school, besides Riddle."

"Don't mention Riddle," Cyril snarled out in disgust as he sent a glare at the aforementioned student. Cygnus seeming to notice the heated stare that Cyril was sending his King leaned forward to whisper to into the other male's ear. Hadrian watched with dread as Riddle whipped his head around to face their group, watching as the other male stood up and slowly walked towards them.

"Now you've done it!" He growled at the flushing Cyril. "Let's go before you sign our death warrant!" Standing up and hastily gathering his belongings, shoving books and quills into his bag, Hadrian turned around to face the others. Gesturing for the others to follow him, he started towards the exit, but was soon blocked by Riddle.

"Well, well, well. Hadrian, how nice it is to see you. Tell me did you have fun watching me?" Riddle murmured.

"Horrible now that you're here. Tell me, did you have fun with Lucretia last night? We all could hear you two. Shame, and here I thought that a talented student like you would know how to put up a silencing charm, we have been over them recently." Hadrian sneered into Riddle's face, watching with satisfaction at the slight tightening of the skin around those azure eyes.

Smiling vindictively, Tom purred out his own insult. "Now there's no need to be jealous, Hadrian. If you wanted me that bad, you could have said something. You shouldn't be talking, we all heard abut what happened with you and Athendora in the broom closet. Getting a little frisky now are we?"

"Please, like you actually believe the load of bull that comes out of other peoples mouths. And you shouldn't talk; I've heard my fair share of gossip about your late conquests. Who was it again?"

"It's none of your concern," Riddle growled out, going on the defensive. "Cygnus told me one of your little friends was glaring at me. Not very pleasant are they?"

"We're pleasant enough," Ciaran said, "Now why don't you leave us alone."

Smirking at the scrunched up expression on the Italian's face, Tom turned back to face his prize. "For now I will. See you soon, Hadrian."

Watching Riddle walk away, Hadrian turned back to the others. "Let's go before he comes back."

Glancing at each other, the quartet silently agreed and off they went, back to the Great Hall for dinner. None of them noticed the red gleam in a certain Slytherin's eyes as he watched Hadrian walk away, silently promising himself that the tense atmosphere between them would soon change. He would get his prize in the end, like he always did, and he wouldn't let it go after he did.


	7. The Protectors of Azkaban

As Hadrian walked down the empty corridor, he heard the soft click of shoes coming from behind. Thinking it was just another student traveling to their common room, the Ravenclaw didn't pay much attention to the other occupant, he had much more pressing matters vying for his attention. But it soon became apparent that he was being followed after he bypassed the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin common rooms, the same pair of footsteps that were behind him in the beginning were still following him at a steady pace. Discreetly slipping his hand into his robe pocket to wrap a hand around his wand, Hadrian steeled himself for what was sure to be an unpleasant encounter.

 

"Hadrian, a word please."

 

The muscles in Hadrian's back tightened as he processed the command, realizing the person who spoke it moments afterward.

 

Of course Riddle would corner him in a secluded area; they both didn't want the conversation to be analyzed by the other students, knowing that their twisted minds could turn the most innocent act into something perverted. Ciaran did tell the Cruor heir that there were whispers about Riddle and his argument in the Library; apparently the air was reeking with "sexual tension".

 

Hadrian nearly strangled his Italian friend to get the information about who started rumor, sadly enough, the poor Slytherin overheard Parkinson talking about it to her ditzy group of friends. Whilst pondering the inviting idea of going after the female pureblood, Hadrian was forced to quickly shove the thought to the back of his mind when the same silky voice cut through his thoughts; this time the words were laced with a promise of pain if its owner was ignored again.

 

"Are you going to stand there all day looking at the wall like an idiot, or are you going to actually do something? Surely I'm more interesting than a pile of stones." Tom said while stepping around the frozen brunette, appearing in front of Hadrian with a raised eyebrow and a smirk on his face.

 

Scowling at the other, Hadrian inched back a little in a vain attempt at putting space between them while replying to the other. "No need to be so rude, and if you really wanted to know, I think I'd rather take the rocks. What is it? Come to insult my choice of who I want around again?"

 

"Now Hadrian," Tom started while placing his hands on the other boy's shoulders, ensuring the teen couldn't move away. "I just wanted to ask if you heard what was traveling through Hogwarts this morning. Something about sexual tension?"

 

Sex was never a thing that bothered Hadrian before, but when Tom mentioned that rumor, he couldn't help but become mortified that the other heard it. Damn whoever started that wretched rumor! Knowing that Tom was waiting for his answer, Hadrian took in a deep breath to try to calm his nerves, looking into the other's eyes with his own smirk plastered on his face.

 

"So you have heard it. Good, you saved me the trouble of telling you about it. What do you think we should do to stop it?"

 

"Whatever do you mean, dear Hadrian? I think this is a perfect chance to get some feelings off of our chests. Think about it, we can have little sessions where we talk about our feelings for each other!" Tom exclaimed with mock excitement in his voice.

 

"What feelings? Do you mean the overwhelming feeling of annoyance I get whenever you open your mouth or do you mean the violent feelings I'm harboring right now and about to act on if you don't fucking move out of my way?" Hadrian sneered in contempt while breaking the hold the other boy had on his shoulders. "But if you want to act like a teenage girl all fluttery with feelings over her crush, then by all means, feel free to bore me with the details."

 

"Really now Hadrian," Tom drawled while shaking his head in mock disappointment. "Your quips are getting less imaginative. Is hanging around those idiotic friends of yours bringing down your intelligence?"

 

"I could say the same thing for yourself, Tom. Those little followers of yours aren't that bright are they? Politically powerful only because of their family name and their blood, Merlin, they're not even powerful magically!" Hadrian answered. "Weren't they the ones who humiliated you for being the only half-blood in Slytherin? I thought you were a person who didn't forget the misdoings of others."

 

"Don't make assumptions about things you know nothing about," Tom warned. "After everything they did to me, it makes it much more satisfying to watch them bend over backwards to my every whim. But what I'm hearing from the grapevine, I'm not the only one attaining followers right now. Building an army Cruor?"

 

"Why of course, Riddle, it's my life long dream to start an endless war against you. However did you find out?" Hadrian returned sarcastically, fluttering his eyelashes to irk the other male.

 

"Intuition my dear Hadrian." Tom stated as he stepped around the Hogwarts student to return the way he came, patting the pureblood's cheek in a condescending manner as he passed by. "Oh and Hadrian?"

 

"Yes?"

 

"Let the students think whatever they want about us, truthfully, I don't mind at all." Tom called. "See you in Hogsmeade, my dear."

 

Hearing the crisp clicking of Tom's shoes walking away, Hadrian quickly ran to the Ravenclaw Common Room with Riddle's last sentence still echoing in his head.

 

"Let the students think whatever they want about us, truthfully, I don't mind at all."

 

And to Hadrian's horror he found that, deep inside, he didn't mind either.

 

-o-o-o-o-

 

DAY AT HOGSMEADE

 

The morning on the day of the Hogsmeade trip was cold and wet, something expected during the rainy season of January, every student who had their permission slip signed was seated in the Great Hall to await further instructions.

 

Up in the boys' dorm of Ravenclaw, Hadrian sat on his bed, staring at the permission slip to Hogsmeade.

 

"Come on Hadrian! We're about to be late!" Terry Crouch yelled while he hurried to button his jacket.

 

"Just a minute, Terry. You go on without me, I have something to attend to but I'll be down soon." Hadrian replied to his accomplice.

 

"If you're sure." Terry shrugged, thundering down the stairs in a hurry after getting a nod of affirmation from Hadrian.

 

Hadrian sighed in exasperation as he waited for the other boys in their dorm to clear out before he could start on his task. After everybody ran down the stairs, many of them tripping while they did so, the happy inviting air that Hadrian had on his face dropped, adopting an expressionless look.

 

It was so tiring to have to keep pretending he was the "happy, nice, and popular" Hadrian Cruor; the population of Hogwarts was so easy to fool. No one, not even Dumbledore, was suspicious of him; they all thought he was the caring Ravenclaw that helped his friends and fellow students study for tests. Only his truly close confidants knew what lied beneath the face he created for everybody else.

 

Glaring at the slip of paper that was the only barrier between him and exploring Hogsmeade, Hadrian waved a hand at the dorm's door, locking it. Taking a deep breath, he closed his beryl eyes as he searched through numerous memories for the Patron of St, Jude's Orphanage signature. Retaining the memory in his head, Hadrian placed his hand right where the mark would go, letting his magic flow through his body to stop at his fingers. Slowly, very slowly, Hadrian allowed a small trickle of the power to escape his skin, urging it to copy the signature in his mind onto the paper. After a couple of minutes the task was complete, thanking his magic in his mind, Hadrian pulled his hand back to take a look at his work. There on the paper was an exact copy of the signature in his memories, duplicated down to the very last curve.

 

Smirking at his achievement, Hadrian quickly shoved the paper into his pocket while shrugging on a coat. Walking to a dark corner of the room, Hadrian concentrated on where he wanted the shadows to take him, and with a small whish he was gone.

 

**(after shadow traveling)**

 

Hadrian opened his eyes to see the solid oak doors of the Great Hall wide open, stepping out of the shadowy niche he was in, the Ravenclaw strode to the entrance with purpose. Walking through the open doors, he found his friends already seated at the Ravenclaw table, even though their House Table was Slytherin. Sending them a brilliant smile that stopped more than a few hearts, he took the seat Cyril offered him.

 

"Good morning, any word about Hogsmeade yet?" He questioned while putting a small amount of food on his plate.

 

"No not yet, but Dippet should be speaking soon." Alastair replied while he stared intently at Hadrian's face. "Terry told us that you were in your dorm for an awfully long time, what were you doing?"

 

Cyril sent the Black heir a glare as he hurried to apologize for invasive question. "I'm sorry Hadrian, we have a theory that Alastair was dropped numerous times when he was a child."

 

Chuckling darkly at the explanation, Hadrian let a serene smile settle on his face. "It's fine Cyril, and to answer your question, Alastair, you wouldn't think I would let a muggle sign the Hogsmeade permission slip would you?"

 

"No of course not! Do you think the teachers will notice that the permission slip isn't signed?" Alastair questioned.

 

"Oh the slip is signed." Causing the Black Heir's jaw to drop and a victorious smirk to appear on Hadrian's face.

 

"Pull your jaw up Black, I thought your parents raised you better than this." Ciaran sneered at Alastair for his lack of etiquette at the moment. "Don't be so surprised, magic can be the answer to many things. Are you worried about Dumbledore finding out? He does have the talent of sensing magic."

 

"Don't worry about dear Albus, I have that covered. Look Professor Dippet is about to give us the instructions." Hadrian masterfully steered the conversation away from the signing of the permission slip as he pointed at the elderly Headmaster rising from his chair.

 

"Welcome students," the Headmaster boomed with a cheery smile on his wrinkled face. "I have the pleasure of speaking to you about the first trip to Hogsmeade! Now we have a few rules since Grindelwald's followers are still out there. These rules are very important and you must follow them or be at risk of expulsion; never go out of the town's perimeter without an adult, travel in pairs when you're not in a store, and finally, when we tell you that the visiting hours are over, you immediately come back to Hogwarts with the teachers. There are no exceptions. Now that we've gotten that part out of the way, teachers if you will please escort the students to Hogsmeade."

 

Immediately the Great Hall was filled the with excited chatter of students as the teachers picked groups from each table to line up at the entrance of Hogwarts for the permission slip inspection. Hadrian, along with Alastair, Ciaran, Cyril stood when Professor Dumbledore gestured for their group to join the lines of children outside.

 

"Where are you going to go first?" The beryl-eyed teen asked his friends while watching Professor Slughorn, who taught potions, ask the students to pull out their slips.

 

"My brother told me that Zonko's was one of the best stores in Hogsmeade, after the Three Broomsticks and Honeyduke's. I'd reckon I'll visit Honeyduke's first, I need to get Orion something for his birthday, he has a terrible sweet tooth." Alastair replied as he rummaged around in his pockets for the slip.

 

"I'll probably join you Alastair, my candy supply had been dangerously low since somebody had to let it slip where I hid my Chocolate Frogs." Ciaran added with a pointed glare at Cyril.

 

"It wasn't on purpose, so stop glaring at me. Besides just write to your mother and she would've sent you a whole box the next day!" Cyril bantered back with a raised eyebrow at the childish grudge the Zabini heir had. "I would most likely visit Zonko's, I've been dying to get the Gryffindors back for that prank they pulled on the Slytherin Common Room."

 

"Believe me, Cyril, you're not the only one." Alastair declared with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "Where will you go Hadrian?"

 

"You would find me in the bookstore, Alastair. You should know that after all this time." Hadrian teased, throwing a wink at the other boy and watched with satisfaction at the blush that appeared on the boy's face. It was so easy to charm Alastair Black, a surprise since the male had a reputation to have different partner, girl or boy, each week.

 

"We barely get to see you anymore Hadrian! You're always surrounded by those admirers of yours as soon as you're out of a class." The grey-eyed male complained with a pout on his face.

 

"What are you talking about Black? We see Hadrian in the morning during Breakfast, in the afternoon, since we all have the same classes as him, and in the evening during dinner. You shouldn't be talking about being surrounded by admirers; we can barely get a foot in front of you because you always have a crowd of girls following you everywhere. They even tried to follow you to the loo!" Ciaran pointed out while Cyril and Hadrian laughed at the indignant look Alastair sent the Italian.

 

Before their mock argument could get even more heated, Professor Slughorn finally arrived at their group.

 

"Morning boys! Can I see your permission slips?" the Professor said with a wide smile on his face, the quartet were some of the best students he'd ever had in potions, not counting Tom Riddle.

 

"Of course Professor," Hadrian replied with a charming smile on his lips, pulling his slip out with a flourish, motioning for the others to do the same. "Here it is."

 

After examining the four slips for a validating signature, the Potions Master let the boys pass him with a wave of his hand. "Have fun my boys!"

 

Trudging out into the cold weather, Hadrian loosened the top buttons on his coat to let the air cool his overheated body. He'd always liked the cold, it kept the other children away when it was time for recess, since their weak little bodies couldn't deal with the harsh weather.

 

After minutes of pushing, tripping, and glaring, the four boys finally reached their destination. Hogsmeade was a small but busy town; the streets were crowded with bustling people in bright robes of green, yellow, and blue. The shops were brightly lit and the air was filled with the sweet aroma of candy and the sound of laughter. Spotting Dante's Books of Magic, Hadrian turned to tell the others of his departure.

 

"I'm going into there," Hadrian informed while pointing at Dante's. "If you need me, you can find me there, I don't think I'll go anywhere else. I'll meet up with you guys at the Three Broomsticks. Okay?"

 

"Alright Hadrian, just be careful." Ciaran said while the other two boys nodded their affirmative at the decision. Smiling at their concern, Hadrian stepped away from the closely-knit group and in the direction of the shop, sending a mock solute to the purebloods' amusement. Finally reaching his destination, Hadrian, after straightening his mussed jacket and fixing his hair, opened the bookstore's door to be greeted with the smell of old parchment and the sound of scratching quills.

 

Sending an enchanting smile to the young woman behind the counter, Hadrian quietly traipsed past aisles of books only to stop in the very back of the bookstore. Running long fingers along the dusty bindings of the books, one title in particular caught his eye.

 

Quickly grabbing the book and holding it possessively in his arms, Hadrian read its title with interest, Azkaban and Its Terrible Defenders by Clyde Chashing was printed on the cover in bold black letters, gold ink lining around each curve of the book. Azkaban was something that interested Hadrian ever since he first visited the Wizarding World as a boy, to think that the Wizards had a prison like Muggles was a marvel to the 13- year- old boy. It was said that the prison originally housed a thriving, powerful city with a king and a queen, but that all fell to ruins when the dementors were created.

 

The Dementors.

 

No one knows how they were created, the old legends say that they were created by Magic herself while others stated that they were Necromancers who tried to cheat Death and this was their punishment. To stay horrible wraiths who fed on happy memories that could, if they sucked on your happy memories long enough, steal your soul was something terrifying and sad at the same time; but to Hadrian, it was a chance to do the impossible.

 

Dementors were notoriously known for being a rouge species, having no way to communicate with the dark entities, Wizards and Witches both mainly left them alone, imagine having a whole race of dark powerful creatures at your command, a war already won before it started.

 

Tucking the book into his arm with a satisfied expression on his face, Hadrian quickly walked to the register, purchasing the book in a matter of moments while trying to politely fend off the advances from the enamored woman behind the counter. Slamming Dante's door after him, Hadrian navigated his way to the Three Broomsticks, a calculating glint in his eyes as he did so. Unknowingly to him, Tom Riddle appeared out of the shadows besides the bookstore, his eyes locked on Hadrian's face as he studied the glint in those emerald eyes, to the smirk on those crimson lips.

 

Well, well Hadrian. What are you up to now?

 

A possessive look flashed through Tom's azure eyes as he stepped back into the shadows. If anybody walking by turned their head to the left, they would've seen a small flash of blue fire engulf a teenage boy, minutes later, the fire and the boy disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your encouraging (and threatening for some of you....just kidding!) comments and for all the kudos. Hope you enjoy this chapter!


	8. A Change in Plans

A few days had passed by since the visit to Hogsmeade and Hadrian had spent the last remaining hours of freedom from classes holed up in his dorm; well he had until Alastair thought the Cruor heir was spending too much time in bed with his books when he should be out socializing. The Ravenclaw very nearly tested out a new curse he found in the Chamber of Secrets when the Black heir suddenly burst through the oak door of Hadrian’s dorm, only to drag the unsuspecting teenager down the stairs and into busy courtyard of Hogwarts.

 

Thankfully he escaped before any of the girls batting their eyelashes at him could sink their claws into his person, he wasn’t sure they would survive fully intact if they actually were to touch him with their tainted magic.

 

Really Hadrian should have been more aware, usually he would’ve sensed Alastair the minute he stepped into Ravenclaw’s Common Room, but it seems that his study session over Dementors has made his mind ignore his instincts; an unusual mistake for the prodigy to make.

 

Hadrian had always acknowledged his instincts; they’ve always protected him from pain when he was a child. He would not make the same mistake, no longer would he waste his time on worrying over the topic of Dementors, the subject was something he could ponder when he had more time. He had an army to build and sitting around on his ass wouldn’t just magically bring him followers. No, he had to do that himself, even if it did mean he had to suffer hours listening to his fellow peers incessantly going on about the newest broom or what their daddy just bought them.

 

Merlin, it was almost enough for Hadrian to throw in the proverbial towel and just let the Dark and Light battle it out themselves.

 

Hell, he almost felt like letting Riddle take the followers he was already courting to his cause. But that would mean being under the control of the arrogant Slytherin boy and the Ravenclaw had no desire to be the pet of someone else when he could be his own master.

 

Besides, he couldn’t just watch the ignorant witches and wizards tear magic apart. No, Hadrian wouldn’t let one of the best things that happened to him slip away and be destroyed due to the discriminations against the Dark Arts.

 

Hadrian found the Light Wizards’ claim that the Dark Arts were a cursed branch of magic funny; they acted like Light Magic couldn’t be used to cause harm to someone. You don’t need to use Avada Kedavra to kill a man, hell, in charms you learn about Wingardium Leviosa! You can simply levitate your victim off a cliff or, if you’re feeling really vindictive, make a building collapse over them with the simple ‘light’ spell, Bombarda.

 

For centuries, generations of a magical people have walked through Hogwarts, and other schools like Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, that taught that magic is divided between Black and White. The teachers told them that you had to pick a side to stay on, they taught that you could only use your “kinds” spells and curses during battle and if anybody who goes against that rule will be persecuted as a traitor to the cause. The teaching sickened Hadrian when he caught word of it from other students during lunch, he wanted so badly to stand up and yell at the students to get their heads out of their asses and think for themselves.

 

Of course it wasn’t their fault, like their parents and grandparents before them, they were corrupted at an early age. Alas, the chance of having an unbiased teacher would be one in a million, people like them are hard to find nowadays.

 

The slamming of his dorm’s door awoke Hadrian from his musings; in the entrance of the room stood Alastair Black in what seems to be bright red and gold robes.

 

Hadrian took in the scene with mirth in his eyes, noting how well the red and gold seemed to go with the other’s creamy skin.

 

“Why Alastair, I knew you had a secret admiration for the Gryffindors in you somewhere. I just didn’t know you wanted to display it so publicly.” Hadrian got out between chuckles.

 

Blushing a bright pink, the Black heir stomped in and slammed himself facedown onto the space besides the Ravenclaw. “Those idiotic lions decided to jinx me from behind when I was walking to Transfiguration, didn’t think they had the guts to do that. Thought they were all for honor and bravery and facing their opponent like a man.”

 

“My, our resident lions are turning into quite the snakes aren’t they? Pretty soon their colors are going to change from gold and red to silver and green, what a catastrophe that would be. Though I wouldn’t call their actions of hexing you when your back was turned cunning, it’s more of a cowardly thing to do.” Hadrian replied while gently removing pieces of parchment from underneath the Black heir, scowling at the other when one of the papers ripped. “Can you move your fat ass over or do I have to do it myself?”

 

“Sorry Hadrian,” Alastair said, apologizing while rolling off of the papers, making them even more wrinkled than they were. “Didn’t mean to do that. How do you think I should return the favor to the Gryffindors?”

 

“Out of the two of us, who’s in the house for the sly and cunning? After all, Ravenclaws are just the bookworms of Hogwarts.” The other teen stated while trying in vain to smooth out the crumpled pages, this was his potion’s homework damn it! He spent hours making sure all of the references were reliable. “Did you have to fall right on top of my papers?”

 

“Come on Hadrian, we all know that you’re Professor Slughorn’s favorite student, well besides Riddle you are. The man practically praises how you open a fucking jar! He isn’t going to scorn you for a crumpled report.” The Slytherin responded while looking at the other with raised eyebrows.

 

“Of course, bloody Riddle. I swear all the teachers think he’s God’s gift to wizards everywhere.” Hadrian sneered, taking out his wand and tapping the wrinkled report with it, watching as the indentions in the essay smooth out.

 

Staring in amazement at the effects of the spell, Alastair sent Hadrian an amused look for the other’s comment. “Isn’t that what they think of you, Hadrian? Are you mad that you aren’t the golden boy in their eyes anymore?”

 

Scoffing at the others jab, Hadrian slipped the paper onto his bedside table, keeping it out of reach and safe from his friend’s, in his opinion, overweight ass. “Like Riddle could knock me off the pedestal those teachers put me on. He’s not even in close proximity to it. Besides, I have the one teacher under my thumb that he’ll never have, Dumbledore, and to me, that’s all that matters.”

 

“You’re right. I’ve never seen any teacher or anybody, for the matter, who hates Riddle as much as Dumbledore does. It’s hilarious to see the git’s expressions when the old fool passes over his transfigurations like they were done by a three year old, and besides yours, they’re one of the best ones in the entire fucking class! I thought he was about to transfigure Dumbledore’s desk into a snake and command it to strangle the coot when the man gave five points to Potter for his crappily done teacup when he obviously transfigured his first with a better job.”

 

Hadrian laughed slightly when he remembered the murderous expression he saw on Riddle’s face when Dumbledore did that. He really did look like he was going to murder the professor. “I’ve never seen him that angry either, I swear I saw steam coming from his ears.”

 

“I wouldn’t doubt it, he was even flushing too, and you know how notoriously hard it is to get Riddle to blush.”

 

Smirking at the other, Hadrian let a silent chuckle pass through his head at the comment, bringing up a fond memory of a blushing Riddle. “Not really, you just have to know what buttons to push to get a reaction out of him.”

 

This got Hadrian a raised eyebrow, a suggestive glint entered the Black Heir’s eyes. “Oh Hadrian? And how would our resident prude know such a fact?”

 

“I’m not a prude! Just because I like to keep it in my pants and my hands clean doesn’t mean I don’t engage in some relations. I like to keep my virginity until I’m seventeen thank you very much.”

 

“You should lose that wish Hadrian, because from what Cygnus told me, you won’t reach seventh year with your virginity intact. Not from what I’m hearing about Riddle.”

 

Freezing in his actions of shuffling his Potion’s report into his bag, Hadrian quickly spun around, a dangerous glint shining in his jade eyes.

 

“And what, pray tell, did Cygnus tell you?”

 

Leaning back a little, Alastair took the time to survey his closest friend and confidant, taking in the sudden frozen quality of Hadrian’s stunning Avada Kedavra eyes. “He told me that Riddle has set his sights on you, it’s seems that the Slytherin Prince has deemed you worthy enough to be his Princess.”

 

Snarling at the audacity of his only rival in Hogwarts, Hadrian quickly got to his feet, grabbing his wand off of the bed’s coverlet. “Come, Alastair. We must gather Cyril and Ciaran. It seems we need to address a problem caused by a certain Slytherin.”

 

Springing up from his resting position on the bed, Alastair swiftly appeared at Hadrian’s side, reaching out a hand to place on the shoulder of his livid friend. “What are you going to do Hadrian?”

 

Looking up into the other’s concerned azure eyes, Hadrian breathed in a deep breath, letting a frigid smile find its place on his features. “For now, my dear friend, we’ll sit and wait for the Snake to make his first move. We must plan to get through Riddle’s head how bad an idea it’ll be for me to be his ‘Slytherin Princess’. In time, he’ll see that my position is far above being his submissive little slave that will answer to every beck and call.”

 

“Then I hope for you sake and mine that this plan works.”

 

Closing his eyes, Hadrian let his magic come out to play on the surface of his skin, soaking in the feeling of the darkness and warmth it provided when it curled protectively around him. Hearing the gasp that came from Alastair, Hadrian let a smirk curl his lips, readying his magic to perform a vital task.

 

Not opening his eyes, Hadrian commanded his magic to navigate to Slytherin Common Room, slipping through the wards placed on the entrance of the room. Weaving like a snake through the multiple armchairs until it came to a group of them huddled around the fire, in those chairs was Hadrian’s target, Tom Riddle and his Slytherin Court.

 

Grinning Hadrian slowly let his magic transfigure his dorm into the scene he was looking at, opening his eyes; he took in the wonderful feat he accomplished.

 

The once blue and bronze dorm room turned into the infamous silver and green of the Slytherin Common Room, where the four poster beds were multiple mahogany desks and leather armchairs, and surrounding the two people in Hadrian’s dorm, were the students of Slytherin.

 

Turning to face his friend, Hadrian grinned sharply at the shocked look on the others face.

 

“Shocked, Alastair?”

 

Quickly using the etiquette that was pushed onto him since he was a child, Alastair spun to face the smirking Ravenclaw. “What is this, Hadrian? It looks like the Slytherin Common Room but we were just in you dorm minutes ago! How is this possible?”

 

“Anything is possible with magic, Alastair, even conquering Death is possible. You have much to learn if you can’t imagine that this could happen.” Hadrian murmured to his closest supporter, placing a hand on the other’s shoulder to calm him. “This is a simple scrying spell, used in ancient times by warriors in Greece, it enables the user to spy on their enemy without being caught. As you can see, we are in Slytherin Common Room, but they can’t see us. That’s because the spell cloaks all magic, in other words, it’s like a giant invisibility cloak is covering us. If the student were to come near us, they wouldn’t feel anything because, technically, we’re still in my dorm room.”

 

“This is amazing! Where did you find such a spell like that, Hadrian? This must’ve taken a lot of magic to complete.” A vibrant grin lighting up the teenager’s handsome face as he leaned towards one of his fellow house members, poking the others cheek and watching in awe as his slender finger went through the other’s flesh.

 

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that, Alastair, at least not yet. The spell can’t be found anymore because the Ministry has confiscated all of the books containing scrying spells since they labeled the branch part of Dark Magic. I suppose that’s a good thing, it prevents the others from knowing the protection spell to prevent being spied on. Surprisingly, the spell doesn’t require very much magic, it does, however, require a lot of mental concentration. Something many witches and wizards don’t have since they aren’t well versed in the Mind Arts.”

 

“The Mind Arts? Do you mean Legilimancy and Occlumency?”

 

“Yes, those are a couple out of the millions of things you can learn from mastering the Mind Arts. Don’t worry, I’ll teach you, Cyril and Ciaran later on this year if you would like. Though, we would have to go through some tests to see what types of magic in the Mind Arts you have a greater aptitude for.” Hadrian informed while gliding forward to get closer to the ensemble in the middle of the room.

 

“If I would like? Of course I want to know more about the Mind Arts and I’m pretty sure those two gits want to know too!” Alastair exclaimed, following behind the other boy at a slower pace. “By the way, what are we doing here?”

 

“You’ve told me that your brother and Abraxas has meetings with Riddle and the other Court members every night in the Slytherin Common Room, I’ve performed a scrying spell for what reason, Alastair? We’re here to be the uninvited spectators.”

 

Snorting at the others apt description of what they were at the moment, the Slytherin let the Ravenclaw’s barb slide off of him, the sharp comment not even hurting the intended. Alastair was too used to the teasing to even bother paying it any attention anymore, after all, he’d sent Hadrian his fair share of cold taunts. Even though they got on each other’s nerves more than enough, the two students were ‘stuck at the hip’ since they met.

 

“Uninvited my ass, more like, they’ll murder us if they ever hear about this.”

 

Humming in agreement at his friend’s statement, Hadrian let a wicked look enter his eyes. “That is, if they catch us. For all they know, they’re only surrounded by Slytherins that have too much self preservation to go against them.”

 

“Well some of us do want to survive to see graduation, Hadrian. I would hate to not see the new world you’ll create because I’m dead in a coffin six feet under ground. Besides you’re one to talk, from what I’m hearing, the Ravenclaws are practically waiting hand and foot to please your every desire. How’s it going on your other plan to gather followers?”

 

“Splendidly, I have them right where I want them. It disappointingly easy to sway them to our cause, but I can’t expect much from a bunch of thirteen year olds just now realizing that their parents influence and money won’t be there to help them forever.” Hadrian said, sneering in disgust as he remembered how many of his fellow classmates hid behind their parents for protection. At least that retched orphanage taught him one lesson that was important, if you want something, you have to get it by using your own resources.

 

No more of the ‘well my father is’ or ‘do you know what my family means?’. As soon as you hit magical maturity, in the eyes of the Ministry, you are an adult with responsibilities to uphold. That is, if you can keep up with them.

 

Waving a hand in front of his friend’s blank stare, Alastair hastily twirled around when he heard Riddle speak. “Hadrian, they’re starting the meeting now. Do you want to get closer?”

 

Roughly slapping the irritating appendage out of his sight, Hadrian spun to see that the Slytherin was telling the truth. In the chair closest to the searing fire was Riddle, leaning forward slightly to gain the attention of his comrades.

 

“My friends,” Riddle started, staring at each one with an evaluating expression, judging their worth almost. “I have now taken control of the Slytherin House by establishing the Court with you as its inner members. You have been gifted with a privilege, and like all privileges, it can be taken away from you if I hear any one of you discussing our plans with anyone not supporting our cause.”

 

“My Lord, if you don’t mind me asking, can the other students hear us talking?” A voice closest to Riddle asked, its occupant tilting towards the light of the fire, blonde hair glowing in the darkness. “I didn’t see you put up a privacy barrier.”

 

Smirking slightly at the other’s worried expression, Riddle tipped his head backwards, the fire’s illumination creating shadows in his sharp features, making him look inhumanly handsome. “Now Abaraxas, you don’t have to worry, I’ve put up a silencing barrier hours ago. It merely activated when my magic came into contact with it.”

 

“Really? How did you do that? I know we haven’t learned any type of spell that contains those properties of remaining dormant until it’s ready to be used.” Cygnus was the next to ask a question.

 

“Why Cygnus, you should know that I don’t work at the teacher’s pace. I find that their topics are too easy for my liking; it doesn’t keep me entertained enough in class, as you probably noticed. You haven’t learned the spell because it isn’t a spell, it’s simply a matter of how you manipulate your magic.” The leader answered while peering intently at the last two individuals in the circle. “Do you have any questions Yaxley? Dolohov?”

 

“No, My Lord.” Both murmured in sync.

 

“Very well. Do any of you have any concerns before we adjourn this gathering.”

 

Speaking up, Cygnus swung his head to meet Riddle’s calculating gaze.

 

“I do, My Lord. It seems to me, My Lord, that Cruor has his own following in Hogwarts. The Ravenclaw House and many of the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors are loyal to him. He might be of a danger to our goals.”

 

Riddle’s cruel laughter sent shivers down everyone’s spines. “Oh Cygnus, thank you for bringing me that news, it’s been much appreciated. If my dear Hadrian does become a problem, I’ll deal with him. Let me make this clear, if any of you even touch a hair on Hadrian Cruor’s head, you’ll feel a pain worse than having ten Crucios cast on you. Spread this through Slytherin, nobody touches Hadrian, he is mine, he is mine to do what I please. After all, if my plan goes through smoothly, the Slytherin Court will be gaining a new member, its Princess.”

 

“Of course My Lord, I’ll make sure that by tomorrow, everybody will know that Hadrian is off limits.” Promised Cygnus, revolving to look at Abraxas. “Abraxas and I will be the messengers for Hogwarts.”

 

“See to it you will, don’t fail me on your first mission. Now since any of you don’t have anything to share, I’ll be retiring to my dorm; I still have homework to do. Goodnight.” Riddle dismissed, standing and stretching his tall frame.

 

“Goodnight My Lord.”

 

“Goodnight.”

 

“Have a good night.”

 

“ ‘Night.”

 

Steadily the five students left the Slytherin Common Room to enter the staircase leading to the dorms. Slowly, Hadrian called back his magic, letting the image of the eerie green stone room fade away to reveal the bronze and blue of his dorm.

 

Verdant eyes searched Cobalt ones, their owners sharing a wicked smile.

 

“Well it seems we’ve got quite an issue on our hands.”

 

Chuckling softly at the understatement of the other, Alastair strode to the door, placing his hand on the metal handle.

 

“It seems that we do, I’ll just inform Ciaran and Cyril on the way to lunch, and then, we have a plan to destroy.”

 

“That we do, my friend. And what a hell of a pleasure it’ll be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kind kudos and keep those reviews coming!


	9. A Battle of Wills

  
To say that Ciaran and Cyril were unperturbed when they heard the news of what Riddle was planning to do was an understatement, they were downright expectant of it.

 

“Am I the only one concerned on how the hell Riddle got this ridiculous idea into his head?”

 

Alastair, after many sharp jabs in his ribs by Ciaran and Cyril, stepped up to Hadrian, placing a comforting hand on the distraught teenager’s shoulder while sending his two other friends a betrayed look. An angry Hadrian was even worse than dealing with a girl on her period, and he would know, he had to live with his harpy mother since he was a child after all.

 

“It’s not so bad, Hadrian. Look at it this way; he’ll never get you now that you know what he plans to do with you. You have an advantage, Hadrian, use it!”

 

Sucking in a deep breath, Hadrian’s emerald eyes gained a wicked gleam, sending anticipating shivers down the other’s backs. “You’re right Alastair, as long as I know what Riddle wants with me, I still have the upper hand in this situation, not to mention I still have that one ability that no one else does.”

  
“What’s that?”

  
“Wouldn’t you like to know? It was bloody amazing, we were in the Ravenclaw dorm room and then Hadrian chanted some words and suddenly we’re in the Slytherin Common Room. The best part was nobody knew we were there! We just walked right in, I even passed my hand through Mulciber’s head, you'll never understand how creepy that was.” Alastair excitedly blurted out, cutting off Hadrian as the emerald-eyed teen opened his mouth to explain.

  
“Well that was just so _descriptive_ , Alastair, thank you. I'd rather learn about the experience from the actual person who performed the spell, if it was a spell that is.” Ciaran drawled sarcastically, sending the Black male a disdainful look, smirking when Alastair made a move to approach him threateningly.

  
“Now, now Alastair, you can’t just beat up every person when they insult you. It makes you seem like you have no tact. Where is that Pureblood indifference that I know was pounded into since you were a child? I’m sure Lady Black didn’t slack when it came to teaching you how to act in public.” Hadrian scolded while placing a restraining hand on the infuriated Slytherin’s arm, sending the smirking Zabini a sharp look, demanding obedience.

  
“You’re right Hadrian, I apologize Alastair. I didn’t mean to offend you, I was simply   
annoyed at the lack of detail in your outburst, and you know how I am when it comes to learning new magic.” Ciaran apologized, bowing slightly in respect to Alastair; however polite the action seemed, Ciaran’s eyes were gleaming with mirth at the other’s lack of control on his emotions. That could be seen when he straightened up, extending a hand to Alastair for him to shake. “Do you accept my apology?”

  
“No I don’t bloody accept your apology you pr-,” Alastair started out, choking in his sentence at the sudden pain in his shoulder from Hadrian tightening his hand in warning. “I mean, yes I accept your apology. I did not mean to threaten you, I should’ve been more composed and let Hadrian explain for me.”

  
Watching the two shake hands, Ciaran’s caramel hand having a striking contrast to the ivory hand of Alastair, with gleaming eyes as cold as ice, Hadrian let a charming smile appear on his handsome face.

  
“Now that you have both properly apologized for your childish behavior, I would like first explain to you about what Alastair was blabbing on about. Have you ever heard of scrying before, Cyril, Ciaran?”

  
A confused expression covered Cyril’s face while a knowing light flared in Ciaran’s brown eyes, an inquisitive look covered his face.

  
“I know what that is but how did you do it Hadrian? I thought all the books that even so much had a little piece of information on scrying were burnt and confiscated by the Ministry for it being ‘dark magic’.” Ciaran questioned while taking a seat in one of the stuffed armchairs in the room. The three Slytherins and Ravenclaw were currently in  
Hadrian’s dorm room, all of the occupants who slept in the room were out in the courtyard of Hogwarts, enjoying the nice day that was rare during the harsh season of winter.

  
“The more important question, what is scrying?” Cyril asked, confused and irritated at being the only one in the room not knowing what they were talking about.

  
“Scrying,” Hadrian informed. “Is a part of magic that involves using your mind and magic to spy on another person or group or event. It is, what many people consider, a part of the Dark Arts, as you already have to have a vast amount of magic to perform the incantation, along with something of the person you want to spy on belongings. Like blood for example.”

 

“They call it Dark Magic just because of a little blood use?” Cyril stated incredulously, hoping that he misheard.

  
“Yes,” Hadrian sighed. “They label anything the Dark Arts these days. Everything from a small and harmless blood ritual to the simple charming of keeping a person’s mouth closed from spewing out secrets. I’m surprised they don’t just ban Legilimency to question somebody for information. Then again, half the people in the Wizarding World don’t know what Legilimency is, let alone Occlumency, and how to detect it.”

  
“It is rather sad isn’t it?” Ciaran mused with a contemplative look, sparing a quick glance at Hadrian to study his expression. What he saw chilled his bones and made his nerves jump with anticipation. “But we have you, Hadrian, and you’re going to change the Wizarding World and educate it.”

  
“Thank you for your faith, Ciaran, it really means a lot to me.” Hadrian spun around facing the mantle of the fireplace in the dorm, letting his back show towards the others, and crouched down in front of the roaring flames. “I am going to change the Wizarding World from the sorry excuse it’s in now to a glorious empire that will be spoken about for centuries after I die.”

  
“I’m sure you will, Hadrian, you’re the most promising student to ever walk the halls of Hogwarts in the last ten years; if there’s anyone who could overthrow an entire government and build a new one from scratch, that would be you. However, if we want to succeed with our plans, we must figure out what to do with Riddle.” Alastair proclaimed, watching Hadrian as he gazed into the yellow and red flames of the hearth.

  
“I know and before I act I need to know more of what Riddle plans to do to ‘capture' me. The boy is nothing but ruthlessly efficient in getting what he wants and I plan on breaking that little habit of his.” Thrusting a hand covered in a green glow into the fire, Hadrian turned slightly to face the shocked faces of his comrades, sending them a mischievous smirk at the worry he could see in their eyes at his action.

“Hadrian! What are you doi-“Alastair cried out, lurching forward to try to grab his insane friend’s arm. Only to stop and stare in amazement as Hadrian slowly recovered his arm from the flames.

  
The clothes on Hadrian’s right arm were perfectly preserved, like they weren’t just subjected to the heat of the flames, and his skin unmarred and pale; but what really gave the occupants in the room a start was the sphere of fire hovering in the Ravenclaw’s hand. Slowly the ball seemed to rotate, spinning faster as Hadrian started to stride towards the others.

  
“How are you doing that? What is this Hadrian?” Ciaran questioned, observing with fascination at the blurring shape of the orb.

  
“Shh…just watch Ciaran.”

  
Then before the Slytherins’ very eyes, the red smear that was recognized as the fire sluggishly became black in color and gradually lost speed. Finally halting in Hadrian’s hand, the three spectators could at last identify the changes in the ball.

  
What was once a bright and fiery red flame became black as a moonless night.

  
“What did you do Hadrian? What kind of spell is that to change the fire’s color?”

  
Snorting at Alastair’s gapping wide-mouthed look as he spluttered out the question in astonishment, Hadrian gestured for Ciaran to retrieve a piece of parchment from his desk, holding it above the eerily glowing flame when his demand was obeyed. “This is a little something I discovered from my days in the orphanage. Unlike a regular flame, the black fire I hold in my hand is much more destructive.”

  
Letting go of his grasp on the sheet, he observed in satisfaction as the black globe seemed to stretch up for the paper with little hands, greedily turning its victim into ashes even before it could get close to the fire.

  
“It’s the perfect defense mechanism if I do say so myself, you don’t even need to go near the person to let the spell do its job. I created this little enchantment on the summer after my second year when I happened upon the Fiendfyre spell, I wanted to construct a flame that wouldn’t be as hard to control as Fiendfyre but could be twice as destructive should it make contact with anything in its path. This isn’t the finished the product though, I still have so many ideas for improving it, the fire is still hard to create and control, it takes so much concentration and control on your power to even get the fire to rotate and transform into something different.” Hadrian informed, manipulating the black orb into changing its shape with small tendrils of his magic, observing as it slowly transfigured into the form of a basilisk.

  
“Can you create it on your own without needing a source nearby?” Ciaran inquired, ever the curious scholar of the onlookers. “Have you tried this spell on a bigger scale?”

  
“I have attempted to cast the spell without an actual fire nearby, it’s incredibly challenging, not only do you have no resources to draw from but you have to create a new flame just through the sheer force of your magic. I barely got a spark when I first cast the spell, I’m still having trouble influencing the sphere into growing bigger, but I can still make a ball about the size of my head without much effort. When I finally master and perfect this spell, I’ll teach you.”

  
“Why did you show this to us? Not like I don’t appreciate it but how will this help us in our situation.” Alastair stated, watching as Hadrian closed his hand and extinguished the flickering form of the fiery black basilisk.

  
“Good question, Alastair, this is going to be one of the many spells that I’ll exchange in return for allies in the Slytherin House, of course, those spells will only be half as effective as the original, but I know that many would bite at the chance of knowing a charm that the esteemed Tom Riddle doesn’t have in his arsenal. It only helps that only the wizards and witches with the affinity for Dark Magic can perform it.” The brunet answered. “I’ve already written the contract for the exchanging of knowledge, I’ve cast a strong privacy spell to ensure that those slippery students don’t open their mouth to the wrong person, should they try to tell someone about the charm, they would suddenly forget what they were about to say.”

  
“That’s bloody brilliant; I know dozens of people who would jump at the chance of learning something that could be more destructive than Fiendfyre. However, I also know many of those people would go running back to squeal to Riddle, what if he gets past the privacy barrier?” Cyril exclaimed, worried that the only weapon they have against Riddle could be so easily taken away.

  
“Let’s not worry about that, Cyril; did you really think I would let Riddle overcome me in one of my areas of expertise? I will not surrender to him, even if I have to erase the memories of the spell from every Slytherin so be it. I made sure that the only way to get past my boundary was to let me release them from the contract I put them in, that alone requires quite a word play, a battle that no one has beaten me in.” Hadrian drawled, stalking to his desk and retrieving a notebook from the surface. “Would you like to be the first to learn my masterpiece?”

-ACCW-

TOM’S POV

  
“My Lord, I have heard some interesting information coming from the Ravenclaw table this evening in the Great Hall. Cruor seemed to have created something so extraordinary that even the Gryffindors are crowding around him at all times. Every time I get to see him l get blocked, it seems that he has his own personal posse following him everywhere. Do you know anything about this?” Abraxas nervously probed, seeing Tom Riddle sitting in the Slytherin Common Room with an ominous look on his face, cold azure eyes glinting murderously as they lifted to stare at the blonde.

  
“Abraxas,” Tom uttered silkily, gesturing for his follower to approach him. “If I did know what my Queen created, do you think I would just be sitting by idle while potential people for my cause are being taken away under my nose? Of course I don’t know what Hadrian created, but when I do, he’s going to regret ever thinking that he could dominate over me.”

  
“If I may speak freely, my lord, I thought that you wanted to acquire Cruor because you thought of him as an equal.”

  
“I don’t recall granting your request, Malfoy; however I will answer your question since you provided me with what houses I can target for information. I will never see Hadrian Cruor as an equal as long as he is so unwilling to join me. Until he accepts my offer that we should be as partners in this new war, he is nothing but threat to my cause, that will change soon though, I always get what I want and what I want is Hadrian as my Queen and by my side as I take over this pathetic world.” Tom declared, standing smoothly to advance to the exit of the Common Room. “Keep your ears open and inform the others to do the same. You have pleased me greatly, Abraxas, keep this up and you just might become my right-hand man.”

  
“I am greatly honored that you would consider me for that position; I will keep a look out for anything that could suggest what Cruor is hiding so dearly. For now, my lord, how shall we proceed?” Abraxas queried.

  
“That should be none of your concern, for now, focus on the task I have given you and we will soon see what our next phase of action will be. We can’t afford to be careless and disregard what Cruor is up to, it could nearly cost us everything.” Opening the Common Room’s door to gracefully step out into the dark and cold dungeon they resided in, turning to face the blonde with a cruel smirk marring his handsome visage. “Do not worry, with what I have planned, you and the others won’t be waiting long now for your Queen; it’s very nearly time for us to act and when we do, the Wizarding World will be in for a surprise.”

-ACCW-

“Hadrian, are you sure that no one will be able to learn of the spell, the Slytherins last night were getting pretty antsy. I’ve heard talk of Riddle and his group, I think they are planning something nasty, I just hope we will know of it soon before he strikes.” Alastair said worriedly to his companion, hastily throwing his Transfiguration books into a pile and shoving them into his messenger bag as the classroom they were in started to empty. “I don’t want all the hard work you put into this project tp get messed up because one idiot didn’t know how to keep their mouth shut.”

“You worry too much, Alastair, if you don’t stop soon, you’ll soon turn as gray as your father. I can already hear the woes of your crying admirers about your ‘smooth, silky hair as dark as a raven’s wing’, my, what a tragedy that would be!” Hadrian returned playfully.

  
“Hadrian, I think you’re getting my fan girls confused with yours, the last I heard of your ‘gorgeous’ hair was yesterday in Herbology. Didn’t you hear it? They were practically screaming it out loud for everyone to hear.” Alastair teased, batting his eyelashes mockingly. “But truly, Hadrian, what will you do if that very situation should occur?”

  
“I have it under control; do you really think I would ever invest my time in something that would only come out to be a failure in the end?”

  
“I would never think that, but you can’t control everything Hadrian. There is going to be a loose end somewhere and Riddle will take the chance to seize it. How far are you willing to go to ensure this experiment won’t end in failure?” A hand decorated with a heavy silver ring sporting the Black Family Crest weighed down on Hadrian’s shoulder, causing jade eyes to flash up to its owner, flashing dangerously.

  
Shrugging off the hand, Hadrian continued to pack his bag, ignoring the question until they were alone in the room. “Don’t underestimate how far I’ll go to succeed, if there is a loose end, I will deal with it accordingly. I started this project; I will see it to the end and eliminate anything and anyone who gets in the way of its completion. Now, if you don't have any other concerns, I would like to retreat to the Great Hall before those pigs Mulciber and Goyle eat everything in reach.”

  
“Of course, Hadrian, forgive me for my insolence. I am glad to know how much your goals mean to you and I will do anything to help you achieve them. If I find anyone you have taught the spell to converse with Riddle, I will tell you immediately.”

“Thank you Alastair, your help will be greatly appreciated if you do tell me, no matter how many spies I have hidden in this school there is still a great chance of someone or something slipping past me.” Hadrian said, sliding past Alastair to exit the room, eager to get to the Great Hall and eat. He really did want to arrive there before Slytherin’s messiest eaters started consuming, or in reality, inhaling their lunch. How the rest of the house could still continue to eat while having to witness that disgusting scene each night was still a mystery to the Ravenclaw.

“Spies, what do you mean by spies?” Alastair asked, hurriedly walking to match Hadrian’s long strides.

Turning a corner to appear in front of the open oak doors of the Great Hall, Hadrian stopped and turned to face his panting counterpart. “I have already disclosed too much in public, what we discussed in Transfiguration was risky, even if I cast a privacy barrier before. All you need to know is that the walls of Hogwarts have ears. Now, go join Ciaran and Cyril, they look like they are suffering from being forced to sit next to Goyle, why don’t you go save them.”

“Alright, I’ll leave the subject alone for now Hadrian, but later, I would like to talk about this.” Alastair demanded, dark eyes narrowing in displeasure.

“Of course we will, Alastair.” Hadrian assured airily. “But that is for a later conversation, until then.”

“Yes, until later Hadrian.”

Waving a slender hand in the air as a dismissal, Hadrian smiled at various students as he approached the blue and bronze of his House Table. Sitting down next to a group of giggling girls, he hid a grimace as he scanned the Slytherin table smoothly, stopping his assessment as cobalt eyes rose to clash with emerald.

Holding eye contact, Hadrian lifted his glass, toasting the other with a taunting smirk on his handsome face. Laughing at the raised eyebrow he received in return, the hand holding the chalice drifted to crimson lips, not missing the blue eyes darkening as they followed the action.

_Soon Riddle, soon you’ll know the true meaning of power._

  
-ACCW-

TOM POV

  
_So you want to play like that then, Hadrian? Resist all you want, play your little games for now, and enjoy your taste of power before it’s taken away. Tell me Hadrian, are you ready for the consequences your move will undoubtedly cause? Whether you like it or not, you’ll be mine soon enough, my perfect Queen ruling by my side. Let the true battle begin, I hope you’re prepared for it; after all, you are the only opponent worth playing against._

 

Azure eyes narrowed as they lingered on the scornful smirk marring the striking face.

  
_Soon…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM NOT DEAD!!!!!Just stressed out like a motherfucker, geez do I hate my school. Anyway, i deeply apologize for being incommunicado for so damn long, but the good news is that I'm picking up in updating again, yatta!
> 
> Ja ne!  
> -tandhale


	10. Checkmate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics- thoughts  
> Bold- flashback or dreams (just needed for this chapter)  
> Underlined- Parseltongue (until I figure out that cool S font thing)

**“I never took you as a chess player, Hadrian.” Tom mused, his slender finger moved to push a shiny black pawn forward on the checkered oak board.**

**“Really? Is it so surprising that I took up the hobby?” Inquired Hadrian, sliding his rook forward in response, claiming the Slytherin’s chess piece with a satisfied smirk on his face. It seemed he was winning the match.**

**“You never struck me as the type to have much patience to deal with slow opponents. I would’ve thought that you would join something like Quidditch, a wizarding sport instead of sticking with something as muggle as chess.” Azure eyes narrowed in irritation as another one of his pieces fell into Hadrian’s hands.**

**“And lose what precious brain cells I have left after having to listen to Myrtle bitch about every inconsequential thing, no thank you.” Hadrian snorted. “Me? I’m the one with the short temper? Out of the two of us, Riddle, you have the uncontrollable temper, and everybody in Hogwarts knows it too; that’s the reason why Dumbledore is on your ass about everything.”**

**“Really,” Tom commented dryly. “I had no idea that that’s why he follows me around like a lost child, always ready to accuse me of every crime that happens in these halls.”**

**“But you act the innocent victim so well; I thought you would jump at a chance to test your acting skills against someone like Dumbledore.” Shifting forward to get a better look at the battle field, Hadrian observed the pieces, the typical white players that traditionally decorated the chess board were gone, instead replaced with metallic silver ones, the color of the Neutral party.**

**Scoffing dryly, the Slytherin leaned towards Hadrian with a wicked gleam in his eye, smirking when he saw his companion stiffen at his inquiry. “So tell me, Hadrian, do you believe you should have been the only one to survive the massacre that claimed all your family, are you the type to have survivor’s guilt?”**

**“Survivor’s guilt? Why would I have guilt for living when I know it was meant to be? What happened to my family was a mistake, a terrible mistake the Wizarding world committed when they thought they could play God, soon they will reap what they sowed.” Emerald eyes hardened into diamonds at this, slowly setting one of Tom’s rooks into the ever-growing pile of ebony bodies.**

**“Oh? And who are you to play God for them? Deciding how they should suffer, is that truly your decision?”**

**“Riddle,” Hadrian stated frigidly, glaring at the condescending smirk the other still showcased. “Understand this, while you may have had no family, you didn’t have to suffer the pain of losing loved ones. We have both grown up in orphanages, you and I both know how corrupted and greedy those places are.”**

**“I have not had to suffer through the pain of losing someone close? What do you know about what I have suffered from?” Tom snarled, magic flashing dangerously, maliciously. “You know Hadrian, I would’ve thought you would have more tact in dealing with these situations. Alas, it seems that that particular trait wasn’t in your genes, you have a particular problem with keeping your mouth shut.”**

**“Really? Is this how you react when someone tells you the truth? Let me remind you, Riddle that you were the one whom asked the inappropriate question. If I am reminded, you wanted to seduce me into becoming your ‘Queen’ and now you say something like this. Is this really how you treat your future partner?” Hadrian sneered in disgust, wand sliding into his palm, ready to defend himself if needed.**

**“Aw, are you scared Hadrian? Running to your wand whenever someone more powerful threatens you? Typical.” The Slytherin mocked cruelly, grinning sharply as he felt his smooth white wand rest in his hand. “I’ve been wanting to test out this new spell for months and this is the perfect time to do so. Let’s see if you can realize illusions from reality, I want to see your true strength; after all, I can’t have a weak Queen.”**

**“MEMORIAM RECEPISSET!”**

**Through a burst of magic, the dimly lit room slowly changed into a black and gray library, oak shelves crept towards the ceiling filled with books, and a cobalt fire roaring in the majestic fireplace positioned in the center of the study.**

**Jade eyes widened in horror as Hadrian recognized the familiar scenery, one only he saw in his worst nightmares.**

**“Recognize this do you Hadrian? Is this one of the memories you never want to remember?” Tom asked tauntingly, lounging gracefully in a plush armchair near the fire. “Seems rather cozy to me.”**

**Slender hands tightened themselves into fists as Hadrian spun around to face the perpetrator of his misery. “What did you do? Are you really that desperate to gain power over me that you would willingly bring up one of the only memory I locked away to prevent becoming insane?”**

**Raising a groomed eyebrow at the fiery outburst, Tom chuckled darkly at being the first one to see the regularly composed Ravenclaw Prefect lose his cool. “My dear Hadrian, we all have a bit of insanity within us, some just hide it better than others. And I must say, you hide it very well. As for the issue of gaining power over you, it is of no worry to me, as I already have a vast amount of it anyway. What I wanted to see is a new experience, after all, wasn’t it you who said I didn’t know the pain of losing a loved one? The spell I casted connects you to me emotionally, all throughout this encounter I will be able to feel every ounce of distress and regret you experience.”**

**“Are you really that twisted? Using a spell like that just to witness a murder? Do you truly want to know my pain and suffer-”**

**Hadrian was interrupted when a graceful finger was placed on crimson lips.**

**“Shh..it’s about to start.” Tom murmured, letting his finger trace the outline of Hadrian’s lips, the other hand trailing down a tense arm to grasp a slim wrist. “Don’t worry, they can’t see us. This is your memory, an event that already happened. Come. Let us sit down.”**

**Roughly tugging his arm out of Tom’s grip, Hadrian sneered at the demand. “I am not a pet for you to order around. Touch me again and you’ll lose a hand, maybe that will make Dumbledore back off.” Striding to the armchairs sitting in front of the fire, Hadrian sat down, gesturing to the space in front of his legs on the carpet. “Well? Sit down.”**

**“And I’m the one ordering you around? Very well.” Passing the irate Ravenclaw to sit in the other armchair, Tom turned to face his companion with a derisive grin, jeering. “Does this suit you master?”**

**Ignoring the taunt, Hadrian focused his attention on the oak door, breathing in sharply when he saw a woman rushing into the room, panic etched into her face. Following her was a little boy with raven locks and sharp green eyes, a confused expression plastered onto angelic features.**

  
**Hadrian watched in trepidation as the woman quickly herded the child behind the bureau in the study, waving her wand over a plank in the wall and revealing a hidden alcove, she gestured urgently to the boy to climb into the space. Hurriedly she slid the panel shut, only leaving a small crack unnoticeable to the naked eye, and positioned herself in the middle of the room, wand gripped tightly and body ready for battle.**

**Minutes later the double doors burst open, in streamed wizards in white robes, the ministry’s symbol stamped on the back of fur cloaks, surrounding the single occupant in seconds while waving their wands threateningly. Verdant eyes widened in horror as a familiar, sickening green spell flew to caress the woman, the body falling to the floor with a thump.**

**Hadrian stared with dread as the wizards laughed heartlessly, stepping over the body to search the rest of the room, picking books off the self and pocketing them. Distantly Hadrian heard the leader of the intruders yell to the others to gather the bodies lying around the mansion and bring them to the library, watching with hate as the wizards piled the corpses one onto the other.**

**Slowly, as one, the group raised their wands to the ceiling, setting the wooden beams on fire with a shouted spell; they retreated hastily, loud pops ringing through the air. Rapidly the fire spread through the library, greedily consuming everything in its path, spreading its deadly branches to the corner of the room where a scared little boy hid.**

**Watching helplessly as a beam from the ceiling crashed onto the desk, crushing it under its weight and sending sparks into the air, Hadrian quickly stood, shouting in anguish.**

**“NO, NO, NO! THIS CAN’T HAPPEN, NOT AGAIN! NOT ME, NOT M-!”**

-ACCW-

“-E!” Hadrian screamed, jolting upright into a sitting position, panting harshly.

Lifting trembling slender hands to grasp raven locks, Hadrian slowly calmed his heartbeat, frantically searching his surroundings for some clue that he was safe.

_Damn, I haven’t had a dream like that in years. Why would I think of that event with Riddle appearing in it of all people? I thought I locked that memory away in the deepest part of my mind, it was the first thing I did after I mastered Occlumency. Did the wards I place around it wear off? No, I would’ve noticed if they did._

Sighing in annoyance, Hadrian slowly climbed out of his lavish bed, taking in the dark blue and gray walls of his surroundings. It was winter break at Hogwarts and life at the Black family manor was full of luxuries; when Alastair informed Hadrian that he was to join his family for winter break, the demand was met with cold eyes. However, to pass up a chance to explore one of Britain’s oldest pureblood family would be a dumb, and Hadrian was not a stupid person, so he persevered through the seemingly endless questions about his childhood and deceased family only to come upon the wealth of knowledge that seemed to be the Black’s library.

Hadrian would have liked to spend his break in the room he likened to a sanctuary, only to come out for meals and when he needed rest, but he was soon dragged out of the safe haven by Alastair to practice Quidditch or to the occasional trips to Diagon Alley. Fortunately, the Cruor heir quickly found a reprieve from the incessant chattering that never seemed to end, coming mostly from the annoying Black females, in a section that seemed to be taboo to other wizards and witches his age.

Knockturn Alley was a dank and, frankly, very uncivilized shopping district. Instead of the colorful robes and moving posters of Quidditch teams shown in the windows of Diagon Alley, Knockturn sold items of the darker and greatly perilous nature, something that suited Hadrian splendidly. Not only did he discover a place where he could easily get items for any ritual or potion that wasn’t mandated by the Ministry, he could also uncover many of the books that were lucky enough to escape the purge of anything dark, unscathed. Like Alastair commented to Hadrian when he asked about Knockturn, ‘If Diagon Alley was the role model heir to the Wizarding world, Knockturn was the black sheep’.

After discovering the dangerous alley, Hadrian observed its occupants, monitoring their actions and words and taking in what they showed hostility to. The first time he stepped foot into Knockturn to purchase supplies, he spelled a glamour over himself, knowing well enough that a boy his age, no matter what family he was from or what blood type he was, would get assaulted or harassed. Of course he could have used his wand, he was skilled enough to create a mass Crucio, but to really waste his time and effort on simpletons not worthy enough of his attention would be pointless.

So, wearing a glamour that made him look like a middle-aged man with plain and forgetful looks, Hadrian took his first steps into a new adventure, soon happening upon a rundown and boarded up shack. After searching the building for any clue to what the shop was, he soon discovered that it was a bookstore, filled with mysterious and rare books.

Quickly Reindall’s Books became something of a second home to him, the amount of knowledge and spells he gained each time he left the store astounded him. On one of his recent trips to the bookstore, he encountered a tome about a subject he was very invested into, Dementors.

Unlike the volume he bought from Hogsmeade, _Eaters of the Soul_ by Alasdair Berwyn explained the horrifying creatures in detail, from how their ability affected the human mind to describing many rituals containing Dementor parts.

However, one ritual caught Hadrian’s eye and proceeded to haunt him until he gave into his unquenchable thirst of gaining a new insight of the entity he so desired to be allied with. The ritual in question, depicted the items someone would need to _summon_  a dementor, trapping the wraith in a circle of ancient runes scribed in the blood of the caller.

It was a rather risky decision to make on Hadrian’s part, but the need to learn about something new, a trait he must have picked up in Ravenclaw, was too great and soon he was committing an action with recklessness that a Gryffindor would be proud of.

The ritual itself was surprisingly simple, the list of ingredients called for common things you could find in your everyday apothecary, like the hair of a unicorn and blood leeches, it was the actual summoning that would be tricky. The caller would have to purify themselves before doing the ceremony, for any taint would contaminate the circle keeping the Dementor stationary, the person would then soon have to mark a ring of inscriptions in blood, each rune representing protection and control. Finding the location to do such a malicious rite without alarming the Ministry would be challenging but Hadrian was willing to go through Heaven and Hell to complete it.

Thankfully, the Blacks were a paranoid family, after the killing of the Cruors, they had a refuge built under all their manors with shields that could survive a nuclear war. Along with the various shields tailored to each shelter, there were wards encompassed within each defense to keep the Ministry and other prying eyes unaware of what happened behind stonewalls. Persuading Lady Black was an effortless task, with the excuse of a school experiment, Hadrian quickly received permission for the use of the chamber, now all he had to do was wait for the right moment.

_It was pathetically easy to coerce an agreement out of Lady Black, after all I heard about her being unapproachable and prickly, I would have assumed that such a task would be harder. It seems that they truly would agree to anything to gain favor with the only heir of such a powerful family, I am thankful to be descended from such a noble and pure clan, as the blood purity bias seems to be getting worse in the Wizarding world. Soon they will change such idiotic ideas about how the purity of blood accounts to anything, if the muggleborns have any talents or are at least remotely intelligent and willing to leave the Muggle world to fully embrace the life of Magic, then they won’t be persecuted. However, if any half-blood or pureblood is deemed unworthy of their blood or magic, they will have their magic taken away and their memories of the Wizarding world will be erased and they will be sentenced to live the life of a muggle._

It is a rather cruel thing to take away the magic of a witch or wizard, but in order to gain complete control, Hadrian had no mercy to spare on people who had no place in the new society that he would create, he could have no destroy what he worked so hard to accomplish.

Grinning sharply in anticipation for the summoning, Hadrian swiftly inched out of silk sheets, striding towards the ebony trunk positioned at the end of the bed. Pale fingers gently grasped a worn leather book, turning the pages reverently to a bookmarked article. Beryl eyes swept greedily over the words, making sure every item was accounted for.

“Soon, I’ll be one step closer to completing my goals.” Hadrian whispered, fingering the dog-eared page absently. “If I succeed in this task, I’ll have an army that even Dumbledore couldn’t stand against.”

Changing quickly into a pair of dress pants and a button downed shirt, Hadrian stashed the book under his arm, slipping his wand into a holster attached to his thigh as he proceeded out of the door to enter an uninhabited hallway, the sound of metal clinking softly against plates drifted up the stairs. Swiftly plastering on a charming smile, Hadrian continued down the hallway to reach the curved staircase.

_How long do I have to keep this mask on? The only person who could ever look past it is Riddle, but then again, he houses his own. It’s so tiring having to hide your true personality from the world you’re going to conquer in time. Though it’s better to rule in love than in fear, ruling in fear would cause unnecessary uprisings, I don’t have the time to deal with a rebellion of close minded people. If I want to succeed, I have to deal with whatever is thrown my way; there is no time to pass over any advantages. Riddle is getting stronger, his following is growing larger and he has many influential families on his side. I will soon have to deal with him and what a challenge that will be._

“Hadrian! It’s about time you got up, I just about thought you died up there.” Alastair greeted his handsome face brightening as he caught sight of his friend. “I would’ve woken you up but you made it quite clear what you thought of my methods.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask how that rash is doing, still itching are you.” Hadrian inquired mischievously, striding forward to sit in the chair next to the Black heir. “You might want to get that looked at soon, the potion warned that inflammation could occur.”

“And you wait until now to tell me?” The teenager cried out in distress. “What if something happened to my body? You know how the girls like it so much!”

“How is that my problem, if anything, I’m doing the students of Hogwarts a favor. I was getting rather tired of hearing the sobbing coming from your conquests echoing through the hallways each day; I do want to have one peaceful week.” He replied nonchalant at the gaping expression Alastair was gifting him with. “Lady Black, do you mind if I use the room I asked you about today? I just realized that I should complete the experiment before Winter break is over or I won’t have any time left, what with Alastair dragging me to Diagon Alley every day to look at brooms.”

“It’s of no problem,” Waving an elegant hand in dismissal at the question, Lady Black leveled her reproving gaze on Alastair’s squirming form. “We were hardly using it anyway. Alastair should know about being considerate of his guests but it seems that you have a special effect on the boy, he can’t seem to leave you alone, he’s like a puppy really.”

“I’m used to it; he clings to me all the time when I’m at Hogwarts.” Laughing at the protest he gained from the Slytherin. “Alastair, I won’t be able to entertain you today, this project is very important and I’m afraid it requires my utmost attention.”

Sighing in defeat, Alastair stared gloomily at his plate. “Very well, I suppose I could do something else. When are you leaving?”

“Right after I eat. Don’t worry, it shouldn’t take long, it’s the process that really requires my attention.” Setting down his fork, Hadrian gracefully rose from his seat, sending a nod to Cygnus and patting Alastair’s shoulder gently as he made his way from the room. “Don’t wait up.”

Speedily, Hadrian treaded down the dim corridor, eager to get to the basement of the Black manor. Reaching an iron door, he grasped the handle and pulled, stepping inside a frigid room. Hadrian made his way across the room to a slab of marble set against the opposite wall, laden down with various items.

Stopping in front of the table, he observed the ingredients he gathered from his last trip to the Diagon Alley. Picking up an ornate steel knife, he set the book on down on the surface and positioned his left arm over a chalice nearby, swiftly bringing the blade down on his skin, hissing at the pain. Cold eyes watched in fascination as crimson drops of blood slowly landed in the cup, staining the gold into a bronze color. Finally, after having held his arm over the goblet for some time, Hadrian healed the cut on his forearm, satisfied with the amount of blood he’d given.

Striding to the center of the room with the cup of blood, Hadrian knelt, dipping his fingers into the liquid and painstakingly drawing the runes meant for protection and preventing the dementor from escaping the cellar. Minutes later found the Ravenclaw standing in the middle of a circle of runes. Ready to start the ritual, slender fingers traced ring he created, murmuring words in Latin quietly.

“Magia collocatae invocabo me, anima qualia tu volebas. Veni accersitus dementor.” Hadrian repeated those sentences five times, during each echo his magic crept into the room, darkening the candles he lit before and causing the runes surrounding him to glow a bloody red.

Suddenly a cold wind swept through the enclosed room, sending Hadrian into darkness, the only light radiating softly from the runes, bathing Hadrian in a maroon glow. Emerald eyes observed in amazement as frost slowly crept along the brick floor, reaching Hadrian and creating a wide berth around the circle. Vaguely, Hadrian noticed that the temperature in the already freezing room dropped, too preoccupied with the figure that was slowly sliding towards him, dressed in tattered black robes.

From the little light in the room, Hadrian was able to distinguish an inhumanly tall form floating off the ground, the frost on the floor beneath it hardened into ice. Gnarled gray hands, poking out of wide sleeves, grasped the cup holding the remaining blood, lifting it to hooded face.

“Little wizard…your blood is delicious.” A raspy voice rattled out leisurely. “Why have you called me here? What do you wish to gain from this encounter?”

Breathing in sharply at the words, Hadrian steeled himself for the upcoming encounter. “May I ask your name? I was not aware that dementors could communicate with wizards or witches.”

  
Deep laughter filled the room, unnerving with its mocking quality. “We dementors can speak many a great languages, that doesn’t mean we will. The arrogance of the wizards that came across our path disgusted us, and because of that we will not communicate. As for my name, I believe your people call me the Dementor Lord, but for you, Little Wizard, you can call me Messorem.”

“Messorem…an interesting name, suits your kin’s ability. Reaper I believe it means.” Hadrian stated, nimbly standing to face Messorem. “I have summoned you to discuss an alliance that would benefit the both of us. Of course, if you will listen, Lord Messorem.”

“An alliance, how intriguing, you’re first of your kind to willingly speak to a dementor for a partnership. The rest of the wizards gave up when they read that they couldn’t speak to us. Very well, I am willing to hear your plan.”

“Perfect. In exchange for your support and action in the upcoming war, I will gift you the souls of the people who couldn’t accept the change and rebelled. During battle I will mark my people beforehand, ensuring that you don’t mistake a Dark or Neutral wizard for the enemy. You will be able to absorb the souls of any Light witch or wizard in combat, however, please leave most of them alive and intact, I have plans for them.”

“And what do you suppose to do about that little spell they have, Expecto Patronum I believe. Are you sure you want to be allied with creatures that can be driven away easily?”

Chuckling cruelly, Hadrian sent Messorem a malicious smirk, eyes gleaming with bloodlust. “You won’t have to worry about that. Recently I have come upon a spell that nullifies the effects of Expecto Patronum on dementors, I assure you that it works, numerous times have I tried it on the willing dementors I have come across, only for each time to come out a success.”

“Ah…I believe I’ve heard of you through my council. A spell that can eradicate the weakness we have to that blasted light spell? How interesting.” A clawed hand reached down to set the empty goblet on the floor. “Very well, Little Wizard, you have convinced me to agree to your offer. Through what I’ve gathered from my subjects and other dark creatures I’ve met, you are trustworthy and ready to fight for a new world.”

“Yes, with a new government, the Wizarding world will change dramatically. No more will dark creatures be treated unfairly, no more will the blood of a witch or wizard effect how they are welcomed, I will heal the damage the Light inflicted on the only home I have. I am grateful that you agreed to the alliance, with your kin helping me, the conquering of a corrupted world will be much easier. However, how will I contact you, it’s rather rare to find other dementors and I would prefer not having to go through this ritual every time I want to exchange information.”

“Let me show you a great secret us dementors housed for many years.” Messorem reached his hand inside his cloak to reveal a stunning ring. Silver of the finest quality was twisted into a cobra poised to strike; cold rubies decorated the scales of reptile while the snake’s head housed opals for eyes. Bending his towering frame slightly, the Dementor King offered the ring to a surprised Hadrian. “My father gained this from a wizard that saved his life, the wizard passed many years ago but his action was still revered by many of my people. We have guarded this ring for centuries and now I want you to protect our most precious treasure, think of it as a gift for that spell of yours. If you have information to pass on, simply place of drop of blood in the cobra’s mouth, the runes inscribed in the fangs will either call me or one of my trusted advisors to you.”

“Thank you for trusting me with this, Lord Messorem, I will guard it with my life and magic. No one will even be able to touch it.” Hadrian breathed out, caressing the piece of jewelry gently.

“I am sure you will. Your runes seem to be fading and that is what’s keeping me here. I will take my leave, Little Wizard. Congratulations, you have acquired the trust and allegiance of the most sought after army. Use us well.” Messorem drawled out, stepping out of the runes, his cloaked frame disappearing rapidly in the light. “Until then, Lord Hadrian.”

“Goodbye, Messorem.” Hadrian said in farewell, watching as a faint outline of the dementor diminished. “How did you know my name was Hadrian?”

“…..your blood told me so.” And with that the Lord of the Dementors disappeared, leaving Hadrian alone in a dark room, the only source of light dwindling quickly.

“The time of war is approaching rapidly, are you ready for it Riddle? Will you fight me or will you join me in defeating the Light?” Jade eyes flashed murderously as a fair hand waved carelessly, causing a black flame to appear from nowhere, lighting the candles. Gathering the items on the table and using his magic to erase the runes on the floor, Hadrian sauntered out of the room with a satisfied smirk on his face. Slipping his hand into his pants pocket to grasp Messorem’s ring, a hungry look crossed Hadrian’s handsome face, sliding the striking jewelry onto his right hand.

_Let my reign begin._

“I will thrive where other dark lords failed. No one and nothing will stand in the subjugation of the Wizarding world. I will make sure of it.”

_The time of the Light is over, now let the world experience the true power of Magic._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for your continued support and I'm really grateful for all the kudos! A while ago I wrote a oneshot for Valentine's Day based in this story's universe and posted it on Fanfiction.net but never on this site so as a gift to you guys for everything, head over to my works page to check it out, hope you like it.
> 
> Ja ne,  
> tandhale


	11. Another Player Enters the Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM ALIVE!!!! So sorry for the unannounced hiatus that happened, my muse ran away and I only just recently found it wandering the streets. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you so much for all the support and kind words that I have received.

“…All aboard! The Hogwarts Express will be leaving in five minutes!”

A sneer marred fair features as a lean body continuously weaved in and out of the compact and vociferous crowd. Verdant eyes narrowing in on the red and gold emblem imprinted on the crisp black robes as one individual, yelling incoherent sentences to his friends, drifted a little too close for comfort.

“Would you mind shoving off, McLaggen? While you may not favor your eardrums doesn’t mean that everyone else in the vicinity shares the same opinion.” Hadrian snarled out fiercely as the moron in question once again leaned into his ear, hollering profanities. “People would think that your parents raised you better, a shame that they can’t see you now.”

Quickly the annoying weight on his arm lifted as said “idiot” spun around indignantly, face puffy and red from the exertion of shouting, the crimson shade only brightening with Hadrian’s sharp comment. “Just who the hell do you think you are talking to, Cruor? If you don’t want to listen to my conversation, there are other places to go or are you too stupid to see them? By all means, I’ll be glad to show you one of them.”

Just as beefy hands, intent on affronting the sleeker male, reached out to touch the sleeve of the silk shirt he was wearing, Hadrian swiftly halted the approaching appendages, squeezing a meaty wrist with unmerciful strength. Poisonous green eyes glinted with pleasure at the seeing the pain in the Gryffindor’s surprised hazel.

“Now just what were you going to do with this, may I ask?” Hadrian murmured softly, increasing his grip on the wrist as the other male tried to use his remaining hand to loosen the pressure. “You fool, did you really think I would let a someone like you touch me with your filthy hands?”

Chuckling at the weak attempts of freeing the captured arm, he dropped his voice into a silky croon, “Let me tell you something McLaggen, you may be the star chaser for Gryffindor but what would happen to your precious team if I broke your wrist right now, hmm?”

McLaggen gasped as the iron grasp on his arm tightened even more, tears appeared at the corner of his brown eyes as a loud crack came from the chaser’s captive appendage. “You bastard! You wouldn’t break my wrist!”

“Oh? And why not? Are you really worth the trouble to go through an entire student body for the culprit?” An ebony eyebrow arched as an amused tone entered Hadrian’s voice. “Would these teachers, hell even the Headmaster, really go against me for you?”

McLaggen shivered at the cold reptilian smile the Ravenclaw prince graced him with, how the hell did Cruor get into the house for the nerds?! The boy was a cold hearted Slytherin through and through. “Even if they don’t believe me, Dumbledore would take the side of one of his Gryffindors, have you ever thought of that Cruor?”

“Ah yes….Dumbledore,” Hadrian sneered the name with disgust, shifting his gaze to the side as he observed the numerous wiggling bodies of the first years scrambling to board the train, he continued thoughtfully. “that bumbling fool has never seen through my mask. So why would he start now? What makes you so special that he would be willing to cause turmoil in the school to kick out one of their most promising students in the past fifty years?”

“I…I….” McLaggen couldn’t help but stutter at the question as his mind came to a halt, unable to come up with any excuse that would verify his participation and importance at Hogwarts.

Hadrian’s grin widened as he saw the witless Gryffindor struggle to come up with evidence of his worthiness to the muggle loving Transfiguration teacher. It was rather pathetic to see such an arrogant and overly confident boy be reduced down to a scared first year with only one poke at his usefulness, but oh was it satisfying to be able to break someone down like this. The malicious smile became chilly as beryl eyes scanned the terrified countenance calculatingly, musing on how to deliver the killing blow.

“It seems that our dear old Gryffindor Golden Boy has finally lost his bravado, no? What a shame, after all, isn’t that what your house prides themselves on, their courage and their guts?” Cocking his head in mock curiosity, Hadrian continued to taunt the sweating sixth year, releasing the abnormally bent wrist as he started to circle around the panicking boy. Noting with pleasure as wide orbs followed his move, like an injured deer being confronted by a predator. “Give up McLaggen, there is nothing you can offer him, and there is nothing you can do to convince me of your potential.”

Tightening the circle, Hadrian paced leisurely around until he rested behind his prey, leaning down to whisper into the boy’s ear his final sentence.

“And there is nothing you can do to stop me….. _you are nothing_.”

Finishing the cruel conclusion with a burst of magic, slender fingers raised to rest against McLaggen’s temples, the redness in the boy’s face long since faded as a pallid color overtook the slackened features, the light that once shined so brightly and rebelliously in the Gryffindor’s eyes, flickering out of existence as Hadrian finally forced his brain to accept his new status of unworthiness.

Taking a long glance at the blank expression that took over the previously rambunctious teenager, the Ravenclaw allowed a satisfied look to settle on his face, turning to leave the student on his knees as the crowd seamlessly flowed around them, not even noticing the figure on the floor.

Magic truly was amazing ability to have.

“Unfortunately our fun has ended, you’ll do well to get on the train before it leaves because even if you aren't useful, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go to Hogwarts. We don’t want to get anyone suspicious, hn?” Gracefully striding around the body, Hadrian grabbed a broad shoulder, jerking the unmoving body to its feet and shoving it forward, smiling at the jolt that ran through muscular frame. “Better act natural McLaggen, I have eyes and ears everywhere.”

Handing his luggage to an attendant standing ready at one of the train’s stairs, the Cruor heir turned and saluted to the broken boy, a sardonic grin gracing his handsome face. “Oh, and, don’t bother trying to tell your friends about this little lesson, it’s not like they’ll be able to remember it, you’ll find that you might get a bit…..tongue tied about this day. Don’t worry though, it’s nothing life threatening. That is, if you keep your mouth shut.”

Heading into the the corridor teeming with conversing students, he turned to give one last farewell. “Nice talk McLaggen, hope we can do this again soon.”  
Cruel laughter followed the slim Ravenclaw as he departed into the locomotive, laughter that would haunt the awakening Gryffindor in his nightmares for the rest of the year.

-ACCW-

“Maybe I was a little too rough on the boy. After all, he will be searched for and questioned if he shows up late and I don’t need to give Riddle another opportunity to harass me. It’s bad enough already that he won’t leave me alone for five minutes without staring holes through my head. What I would give to be able to finally get that leech off of my back once and for all.”

Striding down the hallway, Hadrian finally halted in front of a deserted compartment, sliding into the space and sealing the door shut with a lick of his magic, ensuring that no one without his permission could enter. “Perhaps I could charm one of his stalkers to put a little something into his goblet during dinner, it would be rather entertaining to see Hogwart’s prodigal Slytherin Prince all flustered for once in his life.”

Continuing to contemplate the various scenarios of getting to see the aristocratic face of his rival in shock, a slim hand reached into a black leather bag, withdrawing a nondescript leather journal bookmarked by a feathered quill secured between the well-used pages.

Opening the book to the parted section, slender fingers seized the quill in a firm grip. “Unfortunately Riddle is smart enough not to trust someone around his food. Not very surprising considering the amount of admirers he has seemed to gain ever since he gained power. It truly is disgusting to see how fake so many of these purebloods would act should it benefit them in the future. ” He sneered, returning his attention to the white pages covered from border to border with elegant cursive.

_September 1st_

_Today will mark the beginning of my fourth year at Hogwarts and already I had to deal with one of the various insufferable idiots that plague this school with their attendance. I doubt there will be any changes made to Hogwarts, but there seems to be a social tension among the houses; Riddle is finally publicly recruiting outside of Slytherin. Of course, the precious Prince knows better than to impinge upon my own property, but that doesn’t lessen the annoyance of having to fight over followers._

_Dumbledore is increasingly becoming more and more invested in the lives of the Slytherin house. The man practically had all of the first and second year Gryffindors trail Riddle around the building last semester, and I have no doubt in my mind that he will continue to do so this year. While he is limiting the movements Riddle can make, he is coming closer to my own recruitment and this is something I cannot have. As a respected and, more importantly, influential figure, an accident can’t be staged to deter him from interfering in my operations. The man is much too clever to fall for any trick._

_Headmaster Dippet is getting older, and perhaps a replacement will be made soon. There’s been talk on the horizon that Dumbledore is a potential candidate. With the defeat of the Dark Lord Grindelwald by his wand, there is not doubt that Hogwarts will instate that meddling fool as headmaster. This only adds another exasperating, unpredictable player to the board._

_The Wizarding world is a fool for praising that man for a battle no one has witnessed. Even though Dumbledore disarmed and captured the Dark Lord, that bumbling band of buffoons (1) in the Ministry couldn’t even imprison any of Grindelwald’s closest followers. What good aurors were for being the “protectors of the Wizarding world”._

_There are news reports in The Prophet about those followers still at large. From what I heard about Grindelwald’s inner circle, the Ministry might as well abandon the hunt, no ritual on Earth can find them now. I know they are planning something. Powerful witches and wizards like that don’t just take the imprisonment of their leader peacefully._

_Only time will tell, and when it does, I know Hogwarts will be the first to be targeted. The time to gather followers is now, it is crucial to prepare for any potential battles that may come._

A knock on the door halted the Hadrian’s thoughts, the quill, still dripping with ink, hovered above the manila page. With a wave of his hand, the compartment’s entrance flew open, revealing the grinning faces of Cyril and Alastair and the smirking one of Ciaran.

“Merlin Hadrian, do you know how bloody long it took us to find you? What did you do, create a ward around this area?” Alastair huffed, stomping in to slump down onto the empty seat across from the amused Ravenclaw.

“Stop complaining Alastair. I swear that your sensibilities become more and more delicate as the years go by. We’ve only been searching for ten minutes and you make it sound like it has been ten years.” Replied Ciaran, ignoring the rude gesture an indignant Alastair threw him as he sat down besides Hadrian, briefly glancing at the journal still shimmering wetly. “What do you have there Hadrian?”

“It’s obviously a journal, Ciaran, or do we need to get your eyes checked? I’ve read that people should know whether or not they need glasses by this age, but then again, you’ve always been a late bloomer.”

“Thank you for your wise, unnecessary words of wisdom, Cyril. How you aren’t at the top of Slytherin House is beyond me.”   
“That’s because Professor Slughorn didn’t want the rest of the house to become so intimidated by me that they would lose their ambitions.” Smiling at the roll of eyes he received from the Zabini heir, he turned to the smirking individual in front of him. “Besides, what Hadrian is writing is his business. He will share with us what he wants when he feels it is necessary.”

“Thank you, Cyril, for that rare bit of insight. You, at least, have the tact to not follow blindly after Riddle like the majority of your house.” Hadrian commented.

“Did you hear about the news, Hadrian? Headmaster Dippet is aging rapidly now, and soon we will need to replace him. The probability that our next year will be spent underneath the watchful eyes of Dumbledore is incredibly high.” Alastair mused, pulling his Transfiguration book from his black, leather bag. “It would be preposterous that any other wizard or witch would be considered. Can you imagine the bedlam that would happen among the parents if the “most powerful wizard in the world” wasn’t the leader of Hogwarts?”

“Yes, I thought that he would become headmaster. Right now, there is no other wizard who is powerful enough to protect the school like Dumbledore.” Hadrian responded, setting the journal beside him to dry. “Though it is rather foolish for people to assume that Grindelwald’s remaining followers wouldn’t attack Hogwarts just because he defeated their leader. These are witches and wizards who were the top of their classes at Durmstrang, they are certainly no slobs in dueling.”

“Do you think that they would actually attack Hogwarts?” Ciaran questioned while laying back in the seat and opening a copy of the Daily Prophet. “Just look at the front page, it’s completely covered with articles about his Reapers, the whole wizarding world of Britain is looking for them. Will they really be able to lay low until the media gets tired of them?”

“Well they did follow Grindelwald since they were teenagers, Ciaran. That type of dedication doesn’t just wane because your leader is locked away in Nurmengard, imprisoning Grindelwald probably strengthened that determination, along with their bloodthirstiness. The Reapers won’t rest until they can deliver retribution, and, I’m sure that attacking Hogwarts is the perfect way to draw out Dumbledore to a fight.” Cyril reasoned. “But one thing I am certain of is the reaction of Riddle to the news of Dippet being replaced. Maybe we will be able to see the Slytherin Prince finally lose his cool.”

“The only time Riddle would ever lose his control is when hell freezes over. Are we sure that Riddle isn’t a sociopath? The only emotions he ever expresses is anger, and that’s just barely. The man is like an icicle, it’s a wonder why he has all those fawning fans.”

“Well, Alastair, according to some Hufflepuff girls, when you have a face carved by the gods, it doesn’t matter if you have a stick bigger than an ogre’s club up your ass.” Quoted Hadrian. “On to other matters, though, I have to tell you about a discovery I made over the summer. You remembered how I was interested in Dementors and their origins?”

“Interested?” Alastair snorted. “You were practically obsessed with those creepy dish rags! You spent so many hours in those bookstores during Hogsmeade visits that we almost had to physically drag you out for fresh air.”

“I was able to summon one.”

“You did? You actually summoned a real, living, well, dead, Dementor? Hadrian, no other wizard in the past thirty years have been able to even muster enough power to fuel the ritual. When did you do this?” Alastair whispered, silve eyes wide in shock and excitement.

“Over Winter break at your house actually, Alastair. When I asked for that extra room, I was going to use it to try the summoning. The old wards surrounding your mansion naturally stabled the connection and prevented any outside interference.”

“What?! You summoned a Dementor at my house and didn’t let me watch? What kind of friends are we?” The Black heir exclaimed, pouting.

“Probably for that exact reason, Alastair. You would be so annoying that as soon as the Dementor heard your voice, it would turn around.” Cyril snarked, dodging the punch that the outraged teenager delivered. “How you get girls is a mystery to me. Listening to you would be enough of a deterrent.”

Laughing at the disgruntled expression on his friend’s face, Hadrian replace his quill between the, now dry, pages and slipped the journal back into his bag. “We should get into our uniforms now, it shouldn’t be long until we reach Hogwarts.”

“Of course, Hadrian. You always did have this sixth sense of how far away the school is. Maybe it is because you are so sensitive to magic that it is easier to pick up on Hogwart’s signature.” Ciaran pondered while retrieving his robes from his trunk. “That is a prospective experiment to test out in the future.”

“Speaking of your power. Are you recruiting again this year, Hadrian? I know a couple of Slytherins that aren’t in Riddle’s pocket that are interested.”

“Yes, I am recruiting this year, Cyril. Thank you for the offers, but do not worry, Riddle will find it much harder to lure people to his side, it is time to become serious.” Hadrian commented silkily as a devious smirk crossed face. “Let the Slytherin Prince see what hell his “Queen” can rise.”

**-ACCW-**

From their floating point on the Black Lake, icy blue eyes gazed upon the towering stone arches, observing the stained glass windows that depicted various scenes from Hogwarts’s history. Resting upon the heavy, wooden double doors at the entrance, a flash of white appeared in the dark as a smile spread across a handsome face. He had finally found the boy, after all this time he found him. Putting his hand into his robes to pull out an item, the man closed his eyes as he raised a clenched fist to his lips.

“Soon, Hadrian. Soon Dumbledore will rue the day he separated us, I promise this.” The man whispered into the stillness of the night, opening his hand to let the object clutched in its grasp fall against a clothed chest, the moonlight reflecting off of a silver triangle outlining a circle, both shapes evenly divided by a vertical line. “It is time for him to pay.”


End file.
